While automated knit sneaker production has been thriving in Asia for years, it remains a largely new fabrication method in the West. KX Lab was built like a prototype facility in the sense that here we have the opportunity to experiment, learn, and improve.

Factories are usually industrial spaces that don’t feel cool, inviting, or aesthetic. But that’s the opposite at the KX Lab located in downtown Los Angeles. The space is a whopping 37000 square feet plus an additional 7000 square foot garden featuring a koi pond.”

Our idea here is to show that it is possible to work differently, locally and transparently, to offer brands a more collaborative approach that allows them to stay closer to the sampling, development and overall design process. The production of sneakers in Asia is not going to stop tomorrow, but now with KX Lab it is possible to reduce the carbon emissions linked to global transport and thus avoid inconsistencies