How to Make: The Trainer

Original version

BBC Four

BBC 4

How to Make

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Zoe Laughlin deconstructs three design classics before creating her own bespoke versions.

Designer and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin dismantles three classic items to understand the wonders of form, function and material that go into making them, before building her own bespoke versions.

Designer, maker and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin dismantles and dissects three classic items to understand the wonders of form, function and material that go into making them, before building her own truly bespoke versions, step by step.

Series 1

BBC Four HD

Zoe Laughlin

James Wallace

Alex McAllister

Gill Abraham

Mark Knowles

Sarah Trigg

Maia Liddell

Jake Clifford

Ekta Walia

Paul Vanezis

Wonder

How to Make: Series 1: The Trainer

The Trainer

BBC Four - How to Make, Series 1, The Trainer

Zoe Laughlin deconstructs the trainer and builds her own version of a design classic.

Designer and materials engineer Zoe Laughlin dismantles the trainer to understand its form, function and material before building her own bespoke version of an everyday classic.

Zoe Laughlin, designer, maker and materials engineer, is fascinated by the science and technology hidden within the everyday objects we take for granted. In this series, she dismantles and dissects three classic items to understand the wonders of form, function and material that go into making them, before building her own truly bespoke versions, step by step.

In this episode, Zoe takes on the trainer - a much-loved modern classic that's a marvel of engineering and design. Setting out in search of inspiration, she meets some of the UK's leading trainer designers and manufacturers, as well as the young inventors working on mind-blowing sustainable creations such as material made by bacteria and self-deodorising fabrics. 

Zoe also goes behind the scenes at Britain's largest footwear factory, where high-speed injection-moulding processes turn out a shoe every nine seconds. And she meets one of the country's pre-eminent trainer historians, Thomas Turner, to find out how our favourite everyday footwear would be nothing without car tyres. All before building her own bespoke trainers. In Zoe's own words, ‘they are mad, but they're mine - and that makes them special!’


How to Make: Series 1

Knowledge, arts, music and culture from the UK and the world.

BBC Four reflects arts, music and culture with an ambitious range of intellectually and culturally enriching programmes, taking an expert and in-depth approach to its subjects.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

How to Make

Series 1

The Trainer

Contributors

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC Four

About BBC Four