#200820: Multi-purpose Artisan Golf Shoe
-
August 2019 -November 2019
-
Private Client
-
Contract design work
-
To design a multi-purpose golf and tennis hybrid footwear based on client’s requirements.
This is one of the most challenging yet the most enjoyed projects in my 20 years of footwear design experiences. This client was introduced to me via my short term contract work with Canadian golfing footwear BIION. This private client is a golf and tennis enthusiasts whom had no footwear experiences whatsoever. That, by all means, is not a good start for any design project. After the initial sitting down of getting a sense of what this client is looking for in this shoe. What a complicated footwear indeed it is this client is looking for!
To meet the client’s active Jetsetter lifestyle, this shoe has to be able to play golf and tennis in; it needs to be wore as a causal lifestyle shoe that is suitable for daily wear; also it has to have a clean casual dress shoe aesthetics for a quick business meeting, etc. just to name a few of the key attributes of this shoe product brief.
One of the major challenges when working with a client whom has no footwear design experiences is that drawing materials are not sufficient enough to get design confirmation for further development. Every design brief meet ends with a comments from client ‘I will know if I like it or not once I see the real thing.’. Eventually I realized that I had to have different design approach with this client. Large amount of drawing materials is not moving design forward.
I had to use my prototyping skills to convince this client on overall design aesthetics and look as much as I can.
First I decided on a last of masculine wider broader bolder toe box shape. I made adjustment to the last to keep the toe thickness as low as possible still to be roomy enough for activities. The same time I need to keep the entire silhouette low and fitted enough to have a dressier aesthetics.
I chose a one piece upper construction. The idea is that to choose a high end piece of material with performance characteristics to keep both function and aesthetics in check. To add a little interesting design feature I applied an elastic connecting piece to the heel which is to give wear an additional room for adjustments.
In terms of details, I created strategic areas of interests using perforations combining with artisan handcrafted stitchings to give the shoe a unique yet a simple and clean aesthetics. I I just happen to have some red outdoor shoe laces, I thought a touch of color will give the entire simple clean shoe upper some flavor.
The idea of the outsole is a one piece rubber of polka dot pattern based on traditional grass tennis shoes. There are several iterations of this polka dot nub pattern design options. This outsole design above is to combine both midsole and outsole as one unit utilizing direction injection. The rubber outsole has breaking channels for flexibility, which the revealing midsole contents provides additional level of design interests.
Unfortunately the project was put to halt due to covid pandemic.
