Footwear as design Nov25 '04

Sketching

Footwear has always been a design inspiration to me. Ever since I was little, I would sketch out gym shoes, with the latest trends in mind. Designing the shoe on paper gave me great creative pleasure.

I would model my shoes after the latest sports star, or just sketch any design or concept that inspired me at the moment.

My current gym shoes

If you take a close look at shoes (gym shoes in particular), you will notice there is, indeed, much design to speak of. Below is my latest pair of gym shoes:

More than meets the eye

Take a look at how much concept is involved. There is much more than you think.

The entire shoe is based on an "aero–dynamic" look, with every aspect receiving a generous "forward slant." If I had to give shoes a font style, it would definitely be italic.

For as long as I can remember – gym shoes, and most shoes in general, have always been created with this "forward slant" in mind.

Shoes, to me, almost have the same appeal as cars. Some cars are really sporty looking, and have that feel of "zoom!" Just by looking at cars, you think to yourself, "Wow, that is cool."

Gym shoes generate that same feeling for me.

More design aspects

Besides the "forward slant" concept, there are many more design aspects that go into gym shoes:

• Color
• Texture
• Weight
• White space
• Repetition
• Text!

Like my shoe above, there is text printed on the side.

Incorporate the logo

Also, the company who markets the shoe – in my case, Adidas – has to incorporate their logo into the actual design of the shoe. This is much harder than you think.

A logo, by itself, is quite easy to re–print. On paper, it stays the same. There is no "terrain" for the logo to work around.

However, on a shoe, the logo has to be "embedded" into the fabric, texture, and mold. It has to be visible and distinct enough to be easily recognizable, but it also has to fit in with the specific design trend of the actual shoe:

These are two tough things to accomplish.

Also, the specific model of shoe sometimes has it’s own logo. This, too, has to be incorporated into the shoe – somewhere. In my shoe above, the model logo is on the inside surface, where my heel would rest.

Criteria for a great shoe design

A great shoe design will have the companys’ logo visible enough, but not too much. The logo will also fit in with the design, and blend well with it’s surroundings.

(It also has to fit your foot!)

Before your next purchase...

How many times have you thought about these things, as you shopped for shoes!?

Remember, your shoe represents you. Don’t be caught with a "class–less" design.

Categories: Design

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