When lightning strikes, you don’t ignore it. And there must have been a thunderstorm the night that architect Julian Hakes dreamed up “The Mojito,” the shoe pictured above. (Yes, that’s a shoe!)

In homage to designers everywhere who are pioneering such extraordinary techniques and materials, our “Design Issue” examines a sampling of the eco-designs that have seized our attention with an iron grip.

• Kara takes a magnifying glass inside your shoes to see what makes them so durable that you can literally walk in them for miles.
• Ethical collections from up-and-coming designers rocked fashion weeks across the globe, but if you didn’t make it to the one nearest you, here’s a summary of what you missed.
• Naomi from MyGreenLipstick, our favorite British eco-boutique, returns with her top picks from the winter collections. And in the spirit of the season, she bestows a 20 percent off code exclusive for E.S. readers! Click here for more info.
• Madison put together this year’s slideshow of the best of winter’s coats in the hottest proportions, since you’ve probably got your eye on one.
• And speaking of proportion, this season has been a veritable cornucopia of exaggerated silhouettes. Here are a few choice examples of designers tackling the trend in a big way.