This Week's Innovation: Slippers That Fit Like A Second Skin

If you've ever Oakley Sunglasses struggled with finding shoes that fit your feet perfectly, take heart. A Japanese designer has taken that universal need to a whole new level — and it all started with cheese.

Tokyo-based designer Satsuki Ohata was inspired by cheese fondue for something he calls the . Fortunately you don't have to dip your feet in melted Gruyere: His idea is to create custom shoes for your unique feet using thermosetting PVC material. Once the material hardens Cheap Oakley Sunglasses to your individual shape, you get a pair of slippers that Ohata claims can be worn inside and outside.

And there's no waiting for the UPS driver to deliver the goods: It would be sold as a do-it-yourself kit — though Ohata says he wants to use a safer material than PVC if this goes to market. For now, the concept looks more like an art project than practical footwear, but Ohata has of people wearing the shoes while relaxing at Cheap Oakley Sunglasses home, cleaning the house and even commuting to work.

Ohata's "fondue moment" came when he noticed how the molten cheese wrapped around food. He experimented for over a year, applying the process to everyday items like a computer mouse, light bulb and pencil. The result? Ray Ban Sunglasses He discovered that the fondue's draping effect functions like our own skin.

That insight, along with feedback from people around him, led Ohata to devise the concept for fondue footwear. Design inspired by nature (or cheese, in this case) is intriguing, but it might also smell — and not in a good way. Ohata admits the shoes are Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses "sweaty inside for now," but he is working on solutions that include adding small holes for ventilation. Sounds like Fondue Slipper could be the new -meets- hybrid.