Wave shoes: timeless design inspired by Finnish nature

Wave is a beautiful, elegant, light and comfortable summer shoe with a truly revolutionary and unique design that has been developed by Marita Huurinainen. Following Finnish design tradition Wave combines beauty, comfort and functionality.


Wooden shoes have been since a long time very popular, however, they have rarely been associated with elegance, lightness and style. This is where Wave is so refreshingly different: the design is unique and the fact that it is made of wood almost seems incredible. Looking at the design of this ‘high heel’ shoe one realises that there is no such thing as a heel, at least not in the way we know heels. The wood rises up from the foot bed and when it reaches its peak at the position of the heel it gently bends down in a curve. This wave-like shape of the heel is ultimately what gave the shoe its name.

Applying this design to wood as the raw material for the shoe was not easy. Initially, experts said that the production of such a shoe is technically impossible. Only after persistent testing was it possible to correctly apply the traditional Finnish wood bending technique, which is also used for design wood furniture, to create this unique shoe out of wood. It is probably this combination of the unique design and that it is made of wood that gives Wave not only its character but also its elegance. Not only is the shoe elegant and beautiful but it is also very comfortable to wear. As the shoe is open the toes are not squeezed or pressured and the foot rests comfortably on the shoe sole. The shoe can be worn with an elegant evening dress, with a light summer dress or also to a business dress. Wave follows Marita’s design philosophy that beauty, comfort and functionality create a perfect balance in good design.

Over the years Marita’s design work has received several national and international design awards: the Ornamo Design Award in 2009 for the best Finnish design product, the Baltic Fashion Award 2005 and the Marimekko Design Prizes in 2004 and 2006. Before setting up her own design label Marita has worked at various Finnish and international design companies, such as Marimekko and Promise, where she was responsible for entire fashion collections. Marita is a graduate of at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. She has also studied at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo and at the Universities of Helsinki and St. Petersburg.

Wave shoes are ecological and natural while the body of the sole is made of thin layers of Finnish birch different options exist for the surface layer: curly birch, pear, cherry or rose wood. The strap is available in leather, clear plastic or different textiles.
A birch bark strap which combines traditional Finnish handicraft techniques with modern design is also offered. Wave shoes are available in the sizes XS, S, M and L.

Wave was awarded the Best Design Product of the Year award in Finland in 2009, the Ornamo Design Award.

Buy your own pair of Wave shoes in the WAVE showroom at Albertinkatu 28, Helsinki, Finland or at the WAVE webshop

The Wave shoe is also part of the shoe exhibition Starker Auftritt!/Stepping into the Limelight! at the GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst of Applied Arts in Leipzig, Germany from 28th of March till the 29th September 2013. Together with Sabine Epple, the curator of modern art of the GRASSI Museum, Liza Snook selected 220 exclusive shoes from the Virtual Shoe Museum, supplemented with German artists and designers who created shoes.

GRASSI Museum für Angewandte Kunst
Johannisplatz 5-11, Leipzig, Germany

More shoes by Marita Huurinainen at the Virtual Shoe Museum.