The next step in sneaker customization has just hit and its sure to make the folks over at PETA foam at the mouth. A new shoe company, RayFish Footwear out of Chon Buri, Thailand, presents some very unique footwear made from genetically engineered stingrays. Using a patented process of bio-customization, RayFish offers its customers their choice of designs and color patterns that have been harnessed by isolating DNA characteristics and injecting in custom color blends into fetal rays. This process, of course, takes some time, but after about 6-8 months, the stingray hide (or shagreen) is then turned into an ultra-exclusive pair of kicks. Shagreen has been used for centuries for books and sword wraps, but this process is definitely a turning point in the world of footwear design where consumers can now effectively grow their sneakers. The price for each pair is expected to be $1,800 when the brand opens its doors to the general public in 2012, which includes the cost of engineering the ray and nurturing it before then producing the custom footwear. Click after the jump to watch a video about the process and see more examples of their work. via: DesignBoom

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website

ADVERTISEMENT Thanks for watching! Visit Website









