Rose Arch Pumps by CHINCHIN.

Seen in profile, CHINCHIN’s Rose Arch Pumps draw a sweeping curve beneath the foot. The pointed toe and rose at the front suggest a familiar kind of romance; farther back, the shoe opens into an arch, giving its heel an unexpectedly architectural presence. Sunflower Sneakers take a more relaxed approach. Flower‑shaped openings interrupt their substantial upper, letting light and air through a silhouette usually associated with enclosure. Both shoes begin with recognisable shapes. Their appeal lies in how those shapes are opened, connected and given a different character.

Footwear and accessories designer Xue Qin founded CHINCHIN in 2016 after studying Design Products at London’s Royal College of Art. Her work brings traditional shoemaking and digital fabrication into a practice centred on footwear, with plants providing a recurring subject. She now gathers this exploration under Digital Botanica, an ongoing theme through which flowers, branches and petals take shape in different materials. The botanical references vary in scale and prominence: a blossom can sit at the toe, spread across an upper or become part of the framework surrounding the foot.

The interest predates CHINCHIN. In her personal Brass Collection, Qin interpreted plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum in leather and brass, extending metallic leaves and flowers beyond the outlines of high‑heeled shoes. The pieces were presented at the Meet My Project Exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and later exhibited at Lane Crawford in Beijing and Hong Kong. Those early shoes gave botanical forms a sculptural presence around the foot. Her printed work brings them into closer contact with the construction of the shoe itself.

Brass Collection, an early project by Xue Qin exploring plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum in brass and leather, created before the founding of CHINCHIN.

Rose Arch Pumps retain the elongated proportions of a classic pointed pump. From above, the rose catches the eye, softening the tapered shape of the toe. The side view reveals a more unusual gesture: the shoe’s body continues into its heel along a broad curve, framing an opening beneath the arch of the foot. Each shoe is printed as one piece, giving the upper, sole and heel a visually continuous outline. Internal lattice density and material hardness are configured to provide support and resilience underfoot.

Rose Arch Pumps, printed as one piece, with a continuous curve connecting the shoe's body and arched heel.

The open space is as striking as the material around it. It sets off the volume of the heel and gives the shoe a sculptural quality without disturbing the poise of its pointed silhouette. The rose and arch hold different kinds of attention: one is immediately recognisable, the other becomes more compelling as the viewing angle changes. There is a tension between the delicacy associated with a flower and the broad supporting curve beneath it. Together, they give the pump a presence that extends beyond its floral detail.

CHINCHIN's Sunflower Sneakers in black.

Sunflower Sneakers bring the same interest into everyday footwear. Qin conceived them with lightness, ventilation and comfort in mind. Laces, a familiar toe shape and a substantial, resilient sole establish their sneaker proportions, while large floral openings expose the sides. The sunflowers emerge from the relationship between printed material and the spaces left around it. Their petals give the upper a repeating rhythm, breaking its volume into smaller sections while leaving the overall shape easy to recognise.

The openings also serve the shoe’s intended use. Compared with a closed, solid construction, they require less material, reduce weight and allow air to pass through the upper. An internal lattice provides elasticity and cushioning. The result sits somewhere between sneaker and sandal, combining a substantial sole with an unusually open surface around the foot. Visually, that contrast gives the shoe much of its character: the base has weight and volume, while the floral upper appears lighter, with glimpses of the structure inside.

Sunflower Sneakers, with floral openings that reduce material use and allow air to pass through the upper.

Digital Flora Ballet approaches the foot with finer lines. Roses and buds sit among branching connections that form an open upper, distributing floral detail across the shoe. Its construction grew partly from the need to drain excess resin from a DLP‑printed structure. Qin worked those spaces into the arrangement of branches and flowers. The resulting framework has a delicate appearance, with buds punctuating the lines and openings allowing the foot to remain visible beneath them.

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Digital Flora Ballet, with an open upper formed by branching lines, roses and buds.

Across these works, the botanical theme allows for markedly different silhouettes. Rose Arch Pumps have the composed posture of a high heel; Sunflower Sneakers feel more casual and open; Digital Flora Ballet traces a finer network around the foot. Printing gives Qin scope to work with these differences, but the visual decisions remain precise. A flower’s size, the interval between branches and the depth of an opening all affect the balance of the shoe.

Qin was selected as one of five finalists for the Vogue China Fashion Fund in 2023, and CHINCHIN’s collaborations with Disney have provided further settings for her footwear experiments. She now plans to develop Digital Botanica through leather shaping and handwork. Folds, curved edges and the material’s surface offer fresh possibilities for a subject she has returned to across brass, leather and printed structures.

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