“WE FOUND OURSELVES BREAKING THE RULES OF SHOES, NOT FOR THE SAKE OF BREAKING THEM, BUT SIMPLY BY NOT KNOWING THEM.” 

— REM D. KOOLHAAS

Founded in 2003 by architecturally trained designer Rem D. Koolhaas and Galahad Clark, a seventh-generation shoemaker, UNITED NUDE was born from the meeting of two disciplines: architecture and shoemaking. It began with a shared curiosity to rethink what footwear could be.

From the beginning, UNITED NUDE has approached shoes as small architectural projects rather than conventional fashion products. This philosophy defines a brand that exists at the intersection of design, engineering, and art, experimental in nature, collaborative in spirit, and guided by the pursuit of timeless design.

By crossing boundaries of form, structure, and craftsmanship, UNITED NUDE has become a creative laboratory for innovation and a trusted partner to visionary designers such as ZAHA HADID, IRIS VAN HERPEN, and ISSEY MIYAKE. Its work continually challenges expectations, creating objects that are as futuristic as they are enduring.

While Galahad Clark later departed to build his own brand, VIVO BAREFOOT, the shared founding mission to design the shoes of the future remains central to UNITED NUDE’s identity.

In 2025, this same spirit of innovation led to the launch of a new brand, KHOLA, developed in the United States and conceived by Rem D. Koolhaas as a response to the question, “What do the shoes of the future look like?”

KHOLA carries forward UNITED NUDE’s experimental DNA but through a different lens. Where UNITED NUDE explores the expressive, architectural, and aesthetic side of design, KHOLA focuses on the engineering of simplicity. Built on a patented glue less modular construction, KHOLA allows shoes to be resoled, repaired, or remade entirely by hand, eliminating the need for adhesives or specialized tools.

It is a system rather than a style, a platform for collaboration where even the customer can participate in the design process by giving new life to their existing shoes. This clear and powerful concept gave KHOLA the independence to stand as a brand of its own.

UNITED NUDE and KHOLA operate independently, yet they share a common philosophy. Both appeal to those who value design, architecture, and engineering, and both look forward, united by a commitment to create timeless, intelligent, and sustainable design.

Visit www.kho.la | Follow @khola.tm

“THE SHOES OF THE FUTURE ARE NOT DEFINED BY FASHION, BUT BY INNOVATION, PURPOSE, AND TIMELESS DESIGN.” 

— REM D. KOOLHAAS