For our project, we designed two different shoe concepts that approached the 20 year old male market from two different angles:
Design 1:
This shoe’s design targets the compassionate, environmentally conscious “urban adventurer”–mainly (I believe), city-dwelling teenagers and young adults who love life and the outdoor activities of a big city. The shoe has an urban and athletic look.
There are four key designs points on this shoe:
1. Metal bumpers (front and back of lower shoe)–this gives the shoe a thin glimmer than can subtly catch a person’s eye. It also protects the toe and heel area from getting easily frayed from walking on concrete and bumping feet into curbs and fire hydrants. This will let your shoe endure harsher environments for a longer time!
2. Twist and turn adjustment (interactive contraption located at heel area)–NO more tying shoelaces! As a busy city kid, you have a hectic schedule that constantly requires you to be in different places. You don’t have the time to tie your shoe every few minutes from all the movement. With this contraption, you can simply lift your foot up, turn the dial, and viola!, your shoe is perfectly snug and ready to go until the end of your day. To loosen the shoe, simply pull the dial outwards and the shoe easily falls off. This feature is commonly found in snowboarding boots, biking shoes, and golf shoes.
3. Recycled plastic thread (located throughout the seams of the shoe)–You’re a city dweller, so you must be well-adjusted to seeing litter lying around everywhere. The special thread that we use is made of recyclable material (cans, bottles, tires, etc) that have been processed and incorporated into the shoe. Buying this shoe will help you be environmentally friendly. Saving the planet a little step at a time is the best new trend yet!
4. The design of this shoe–it’s colorful, it’s comfortable, and it’s meant to remind you of the reason why the world is beautiful. The shoe attempts to depict the curling wave, the sunset, and rocky cliffs to remind the wearer the existence of the beauty of nature that might not be so obvious in a big city.
Overall, this shoe is bright, fun, environmentally conscious, practical, and comfortable. With some modification of color to fit an individual’s taste, both men and women of all ages would love this shoe!
Inspiration
One man might be a fast moving New York businessman, early in his career. He jogs to work when late to make his meetings on time. He needs to wear black leather at the office, but can’t help but add accents and fair of his own to his shoes.
These shoes focus on combining the comfort and subtle flair from sneakers in a formal monk strap shoe. The metal strip around the toe and heel protect the shoe from bumps along the way, while also giving a stylized aesthetic.
Red enamel markings on the heel and tip of the shoes help to create brand identity and make the shoe uniquely recognizable.
The rubber soles ensure comfort while walking, and make the shoe moderately more casual. The finest details of the sneaker become apparent when the wearer crosses his legs on his lap in a powerful body position.
This shoe would be priced at $200 allowing it to become a staple luxury item, while also not placing out of the reach of young business men’s disposable income.
