How Maral Kalinian Is Turning Footwear Into a Source of Power

Her innovative shoe startup Gaian Footwear marries fashion and function – and renewable energy
During this year’s Climate Week in New York City, I ventured across the bridge to the Brooklyn Navy Yard to explore the tech startups tackling some of our planet’s toughest climate challenges. It was an inspiring experience, surrounded by innovators and engineers crafting solutions that aim to reshape how we live—without sacrificing design. From electric motorcycles and solar-powered robots to machines that turn carbon into water, it felt like stepping into a future that was no longer science fiction but just around the corner.
Yet, amidst the cutting-edge tech, what really grabbed my attention was a funky sneaker spinning on an axle. That’s how I met Maral Kalinian and her team. They weren’t just designing a shoe—they were reinventing how we think about energy, with a sneaker capable of charging users’ devices after they hike or finish their daily commute.
Fashion tech wearables have typically been confined to watches, rings, or jackets offering sensory features. But Maral’s Gaian Footwear, founded in 2018, is poised to disrupt the sneaker industry by introducing the world’s first energy-generating shoe, giving wearers the power to create energy with every step.
Maral’s career is nothing short of extraordinary. From styling celebrities like Ellen Degeneres and Sandra Bullock to serving as the design director of Calvin Klein footwear, her journey spans decades, fusing creativity with technology and sustainability. Now, she’s setting her sights on reshaping footwear and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in fashion tech.
In the conversation below, she shares insights on this exciting next chapter.
What inspired your shift from costume design for celebrities to technology-driven footwear?
I’ve always had a passion for invention and pushing boundaries. My fashion work was creative, but it didn’t challenge me the way I knew I could be. The turning point came when I was in Armenia after the 1988 earthquake. I fell in love with these traditional knit booties—seamless, beautifully made, and entirely organic. That experience sparked my first venture into footwear. From there, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to innovate further. I wanted to create something that wasn’t just fashionable, but also functional and even tech-powered. That’s how Gaian Footwear was born.
Gaian Footwear’s products generate energy as consumers walk. How did you come up with this concept?
It all started during a conversation with a friend who noticed people walking and said, “It’s too bad we can’t harness that energy.” That was it—the idea clicked. I started thinking about how we could develop shoes that do more than just support your body weight. I wanted something that could actually generate power. We incubated the concept for seven years, secured five patents, and now we’re ready to bring it to market. We’re the first to mass-produce an energy-generating sneaker, and that innovation excites me. It’s a step toward sustainability in fashion.
Wearables can sometimes struggle to gain mass appeal. How are you ensuring Gaian Footwear appeals to a broad audience?
Design has always been about simplicity for me—the Bauhaus principle of form following function. Gaian Footwear isn’t flashy or bulky; it’s sleek and accessible. It’s a blank canvas, designed for everyday wear. We want it to be front and center in people’s daily lives, helping them generate power while looking great. It’s invisible until you need it—just like when your phone’s battery dies and you realize you’ve got a power source at your feet.
Gaian Energy Footwear. Photo: Courtesy Gaian Footwear.
Waste is a huge issue in fashion, and I’ve seen firsthand how much overproduction and consumption contribute to landfills. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to minimize waste. The shoe uppers are made from recycled water bottles, and the bottom units also incorporate recyclable materials. We’re even developing a return program where customers can send their worn shoes back to us for a credit. This keeps the product in a circular loop, out of landfills.
We’re also rethinking packaging—using sugar bagasse waste and cornstarch instead of traditional materials. From the ground up, everything is designed with sustainability in mind.
How do you see these shoes being used in real-world scenarios, especially as climate change becomes more pressing?
Gaian Footwear is not just about fashion—it’s about utility. One of the first things I considered when developing this concept was how these shoes could be used in emergency situations. Imagine being in a natural disaster, like a hurricane, and you lose power. These shoes could allow you to charge a phone or another small device. We’re already thinking about future iterations of the shoe that could be specifically designed for disaster scenarios. It’s about empowering people, quite literally.
What can people expect from Gaian Footwear’s launch, and where will it be available?
We’re planning to launch with a local pop-up, likely in Brooklyn or Soho. After that, the shoes will be available online for people who can’t make it in person. We want everyone to try them on, feel how comfortable and lightweight they are, and experience the excitement of generating their own energy. It’s a one-of-a-kind product, and I can’t wait for people to get their hands—or feet—on it.