#141020: What kind CrossFit shoes that make sense for FILA to have?
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January 2016 -November 2016
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Anta Sports/FILA
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Contract design work
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To design a series of 4 silhouettes under the performance category, tennis, running, cross-training and a lifestyle for locate China market. This is the design overview for a performance tennis shoe.
FILA brand doesn’t have a CrossFit footwear history. It’s very hard to compete with major brands like Nike and Reebok in hardcore performance CrossFit footwear. So what’s the area that makes sense for the brand to create a CrossFit shoe? This was the product direction question I was trying to answer prior to begin design.
By researching existing CrossFit footwear brands and styles in the market, I‘be realized that CrossFit shoes in general are not known for being good looking. In fact, CrossFit footwear are sort of on the “ugly” side.
Maybe there’s something I can do to take advantage of the pure aesthetics aspect of a product, to design an attractive CrossFit shoe. I thought what if I design a good looking CrossFit shoe that can do basic CrossFit tasks in the gym and aesthetically appealing enough to wear outside the gym.
I started with a classic CrossFit silhouette roughing out few pages of overall concept directions. In the end my focus is on this running silhouette inspired with a modern touch direction, a familiar silhouette capturing a strong brand identity.
Since this is my first performance CrossFit design, I must keep all the performance basics in check. So what exactly are key CrossFit performance features?
Weight is one area that covers wild range of exercises. Weight is downward force which requires full sole stability supporting all weights coming down. This can only mean the outsole surface must be flat and have large flat surface coverage. Also the tread pattern must be shallow enough yet maintain good deal of surface coverage.
For the upper I created a mid foot elastic band that keeps the feet stable as well as secure shoe laces during movement. For the body I am leaving large areas ventilated.
Large surface coverage is good for stability but what about flexibility which is an essential feature of all performance footwear. I designed a series of flexible groove in different sections in both wave and straight line shapes.
More importantly the construction of midsole and outsole requires engineering. In this case the outsole is form fitted onto a midsole with outsole removing material at critical flexible area, which creates a better flexible underfoot feeling.
Unfortunately, a while after I presented this design I was informed the China company is moving away from performance category in favor of fashion atheisure driven footwear market. That means this design never left drawing board.
