An object of ultimate self-expression and cultural curation
It’s been almost a year now since I wrote this article for Techunter Magazine, but I have been wanting to share it with you for a white.
I’ve always been fascinated with the world of footwear and the way it signifies our culture. To my delight, writing this article gave me the incredible opportunity to time travel in the shoe universe and uncover why they are, to this day, the most influential design statement.
You can read more about the launch event on my blog https://www.elitsadobreva.yekomod.com/
The Shoe.
An Object of Ultimate Self-Expression and Cultural Curation.
Today’s Footwear Market: Sudden Revival, Cultural Outrage, Diversified Investment
The most accessible form of self-expression, consumption, has peaked for footwear in the past decade, allowing for millions of unusual pairs, neglected in the past, to roll off the dusty Footlocker shelves and right into collectors’ oversized wardrobes.
Many of those historical revivals have a very immediate explanation: relatability. In an era where everyone is accepted despite their quirks and weirdness, society is welcoming the ugly and imperfect. And what, if not shoes, would be a better expression of the world’s rebellion against boring perfectionism?
Speaking of ugliness, there is no better example of footwear revival than the Crocs. Once dubbed by Times Magazine as one of ‘the worst inventions’, the shoe is generating millions in revenue and attracting young consumers with its pro-quirk stance, utter comfort and customizability.
The controversial shoe is bold and humble at the same time, which is what most wearers would like to be associated with. Perhaps for this very reason, the Crocs are not only a great representation of, but also mark the beginning of the Ugly Aesthetic in shoes. Since their collaboration with Balenciaga in 2017, the rubber sliders have hopped their way to many young hearts, surging the revival of the original Crocs, ‘the Beach’, and its colourful, bedazzled, or printed versions.
Whether it’s because of the Y2K nostalgia, the COVID-19 era of uncompromising comfort, or the unlikely scenario, in which Crocs are just cool, their collaboration with Post Malone sold out in just a couple of minutes.
Another proof of the influence of nostalgia on shoe-related consumer behavior is the ugly slider. Many followed the lead of their favorite childhood plastic role model and when, a few months ago, Barbie picked up the Birkenstock, so did everyone.
First produced back in 1774 in Germany, the slip-on has been controversial ever since. Throughout its history, it has been deemed as ‘ugly’ or ‘too outdoorsy’, however, as mountain style continues picking up on popularity, the leather slider is being increasingly spotted outside its natural habitat, including, as of recently, in collaboration with Tekla.
Another German giant taking big strides from the past (1949 to be exact) is the Adi-Dassler-designed Adidas Samba. After the 50s FIFA World Cup, the shoe, originally associated with classic soccer-wear, became a pop culture icon in the following two decades and is, to this day, prominently featured on magazine covers and paparazzi shots. The old utilitarian sneaker is enjoying the undivided attention of a plethora of creatives, including Pharell Williams, Palace, KITH, and Grace Wales Bonner, who have all individualized the iconic shoe, causing an instant sell-out of most of the collaborations.
While some ancient models are experiencing this phenomenal revival, other, less historically acclaimed pairs, keep them company on the SockX page’s resale pedestal for their quirkiness and ugliness.
Some of the responses to consumers’ undying desire for uniqueness include the cyberpunk Kiko Kostadinov x Hysteric Glamour x Asics sneakers, and, of course, the multiple varieties of Margiela Tabis, together with thousands of other alien-like pairs, flooding the footwear scene with desirable grossness, so very controversially popular today.
In a true MSCHF style, Brooklyn’s creative rebels have turned the ugly shoe market into their very own sarcasm playground. Dating back to the Jesus Shoe, a Nike Air Max 97, filled with holy water for the wearer to walk on, MSCHF later flipped the biblical narrative with the 666 pairs of Satan Shoes, this time blessing the Air Max 97s with blood. The real fashion blasphemy, however, was committed when they cut up several of Hermès’ iconic Birkin bags only to make four pairs of insanely expensive sliders out of their defiled leather.
One of the brand’s most iconic mischievous acts, though, is the creation of the Big Red Boots, which were also designed in mockery of the Ugly Shoe trend and the numerous collaborations customers seem to be ready to pay fortunes for. Weighing 3.2 kilos in total and nearly impossible to take off, the pair is impractical, to say the least, which didn’t bother various influencers, who readily jumped on MSCHF’s scornful wagon.
The disruptive collective has a point, however, seeing as quirky sneakers have become some of the most popular items on bidding platforms like Sotheby’s, StockX, Laced and Novelship. According to Sotherby’s, the Nike Waffle Racing Flat Moon Shoe in a rare 1972 version, size 12.5 costs between $110 000 and $160 000, while the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Cactus Jack F&F Collection of five sneakers is estimated to be worth anywhere between 45 000 and 60 000$. So far, though, the record is held by Kanye West’s Nike Air Yeezy 1s, which sold at $1.8 Million at Sotheby’s.
And, indeed, shoes nowadays are regarded with the same artistic values and price points as works of fine art. Virgil Abloh was openly a proponent of the idea that sneakers are our generation’s expression of creativity. His comparison between collecting shoes and Matisse artworks has made it clear that sneakers are the more attainable art form and this shows in the designer’s own nearly 2000-piece collection.
One of the absolute icons among collectible sneakers has been, and continues to be, the Air Jordan 1 High ’85 , which is something like the collectors’ holy grail. For passionate footwear bidders, their priced possessions indicate a moment in history, curation of style, culture and self-expression, while many, not so enthusiastic collectors, see the sneaker as merely the type of investment to diversify their assets. Being valued by non-appreciators, however, is the highest sign of recognition and sneakers have rightfully earned their place as a totem of investment power.
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The Shoe As A Status Symbol: From Utility To Luxury
Similarly to art and jewelry, sneakers’ worth is somewhat based on their scarcity, however, their value is further enhanced by nostalgia and cultural shifts. Because most pairs are engineered to actually be worn, as opposed to sitting in a box, they are being distributed widely, which means that the cultural position of a certain brand, and not scarcity, has the biggest influence on consumers’ willingness to purchase, and, consequently, on the worth of the shoe.
This is definitely the case with the Adidas Yeezy team-up. The three stripe brand has credibility in producing functional footwear, but was not as popular amongst sneakerheads, as Nike is, for instance. The collaboration with Ye has generated a lot of street buzz and put Adidas in a higher position amongst the best regarded sneaker brands. Culturally, however, this collaboration has recently backfired and the Adidas Yeezys have lost much of the traction, initially generated by the outrageous shoes.
In tune with their cultural value, shoes seem to have become the new handbag, replacing it as a key status symbol and becoming the number one statement piece consumers choose to invest in. This is, in no small part, due to casual athleisure having become the new luxury. Therefore, top high-end brands, like Balenciaga, Prada and Gucci, keep running the luxury treadmill, appointing collaborators to dust off the leather-loafer poshness and ascend to today’s better-suiting outdoor luxury.
Sneakers simply convey many of the high-end workforce values: comfort, influence, casual creativity and uniqueness are among the top reasons why even the most affluent have chosen the Sneaker as their new favorite status symbol. But much of why luxury footwear nowadays is so unique, is rooted in the creative input of designers with sportswear or industrial background.
A recent example of these performance-fashion design collaborations is Moncler’s work with Salehe Bembury. The industrial designer himself has repeatedly advocated for ‘humanizing luxury’, which he has so seamlessly accomplished by bringing the shoe to a brand, previously exclusively associated with high-end puffers. Currently, one of Moncler’s best sold products is the Trail Grip sneaker, which might never see the mountains, but is most certainly equipped for any of its rough conditions.
Another example for utilizing performance design to generate luxury hype is the continuous team work between MM6 Maison Margiela and Salomon. The lovechildren of the two seemingly incompatible brands are not only some of the best-sold collaboration shoes in modern history, but also heavily endorsed by celebrities and sneakerheads alike. And for a good reason: Salomon’s performance in the sole and base of the Cross High shoe remains uncompromised, its function and comfort are even enhanced via the improved and Energy Cell Plus tech-induced midsole for rough terrains. Meanwhile, the Margiela touch has brought some serious styling to the upper, wrapping the ankle in waterproof nylon. The signature MM graphic adds the classic nod to deconstructivism so deeply associated with the fashion house, while Salomon’s quicklace technology boosts the utility of the piece.
The Air Vuitton 1s, based on one of the most successful shoes of all times, Nike Air Force 1, illustrates this trend further. Designed to neutralize the initial symbolism of workwear, it has become THE office shoe: casual but trustworthy nonetheless. The Vuittons, which premiered during the SS22 show, incorporate some key Virgil elements, like the ‘AIR’ and ‘LACET’ (laces, fr.) in quotation marks, and have become iconic in their turn as the last shoe design released by Virgil.
With iconic pairs constantly being updated and collaborated on, one might pose the question of why exactly a Louis Vuitton, Moncler, or Maison Margiela customer would need the astronomical levels of performance which current luxurious sneakers are engineered to provide. The answer is: ‘Because they can’. Infallible functionality has become somewhat of a high-end statement. Because it is pricey to produce good quality and well-performing products (testing, multiple rounds of prototyping and certifications are often involved), it has become an affluence staple to be able to afford this type of shoes, and casually take them for a walk on the vintage wooden floors of the office.
Apart from performance, a big chunk of the hype is generated by celebrities co-designing, collaborating on or simply endorsing a sneaker. The Adidas Sambas, which we previously talked about, would not be as popular, had it not been for Run-DMC, who released the song ‘My Adidas’ about this exact pair. The phenomenally popular Nike Air Jordans would be just a cool sneaker without Michael Jordan, who wore the shoes during his matches, despite the fact that they were illegalized by the league. NBA kept fining the young Bull, while Nike kept paying his fines, until the shoe became a legend. Another basketball giant, Allan Iverson, singlehandedly put Reebok Answers on every sneakerhead’s radar, producing multiple collaborations with the shoe brand and generating endless buzz, slam dunking competitors. Kurt Cobain, in his turn, had an immense influence on the success of Converse One Stars, which he kept wearing and promoting, until they became synonymous with the grunge movement and the brand decorated the ankles of every 90s rebellious teen.
Gabriele on why he’s put so much emphasis on shoes as object of his design efforts:
As a designer, I keenly observe the ever-evolving transformation of the footwear industry and reflect on its future. It doesn’t just concern technological innovation but also the
evolution of cultural and social narratives. Footwear will continue to reflect the values and trends of society, serving as expressions of identity and belonging. However, in the current landscape of shoe design, there’s a predominant tendency to follow trends rather than create them, especially among major fashion and athletic brands that used to stand out more distinctly from one another. This has often led to a flattening of
design, with a general lack of innovation in 90% of cases, where one company and a group of designers innovate and everyone else essentially follows suit, resulting in shoes that become passing objects, moving from shelves to dumpsters without leaving a mark.Unlike some outstanding cases that still exhibit this attitude, in the past, many companies stood out for the uniqueness and ionic nature of their products, creating culture, inspiring young designers, and influencing the youth. It’s clear they are in pursuit of profit and tend to produce what will sell best on the market, but perhaps in the past, there were more designers with a structured and mature vision, not solely driven by the desire to emerge and be noticed, especially on social media.
From a design standpoint, the future of sneakers seems increasingly focused on integrating aesthetics and functionality. The challenge lies in balancing visual appeal and comfort with new technologies and materials while also maintaining a focus on sustainability and the message intended to be conveyed through the product.
Large-scale customization could become the norm, allowing consumers to create footwear tailored to their needs and tastes. These reflections inspired the concept of rubber thermoforming that I envisioned and pushed forward when I was at Vibram as a senior footwear designer to create a waterproof rain boot.
After three years of experimentation, this idea took shape through the collaboration between Vibram and Slam Jam. Being a product that deviates from traditional industrial methods focused on large-scale production, this process also allows for the production of small limited editions, even up to 200 pairs, with the possibility of customization by small brands and customers. If this process were to spread more widely, it could promote the accessibility and affordability of the product while remaining highly technical and of high quality, changing the culture of exclusivity usually associated with the high cost of the product.
The shoe industry has come a long way since the 90s, though, and designers have invented various ways in which to both aid the customer experience and forge pathways for creators’ unlimited imagination, while also putting efforts towards minimizing the industry’s impact on the planet.
Somewhat of a craze in the past decade, 3D printing has allowed for comfort and customizability of the shoes to be enhanced. Because there is not much prototyping and excess material used in this process, it is deemed better for the environment, while also allowing for smaller quantities to be produced.
Many big brands in the sportswear industry have latched onto the idea, though, precisely due to the lower production scale and the entirely new manufacturing setup, including expensive materials and machines, many efforts to bring the innovation to a big scale have failed.
This production method, however, is perfectly suited for limited edition drops, like in the case of Moncler’s 3D-printed Trailgrip shoe, or startups and innovators like Zellerfeld, Koobz, Flowers of Society, and Hilos, who are progressing with their effort to democratize the footwear market, focusing on environmentally friendly production processes, which aren’t as easily scalable for big conglomerates.
Regardless of its startup status, Zellerfeld has made some big 3D-printed steps on the footwear playground, offering at-home smartphone 3D scans and on-demand only production. They work with private customers, as well as big clients like KidSuper, Heron Preston and Rains, for their own unique drops.
Despite the current gap between 3D printing manufacturers and big influential brands, the technology is likely to blow up in the bigger scale with many designers taking personal interest in the process and machines becoming more affordable. As always, it is a question of restructuring for big brands, and only time will show if they regard this process as a long term solution for their business.
As prominently visible all over social media, another preferred space for the footwear design community is the virtual realm. Aside from big companies like Nike, who acquired 3D design studio RTFKT, many independent creators and footwear enthusiasts are enjoying explicit artistic freedom in the rule-defying digital territory.
Cybersneaker, RTFKT’s first creation to go viral, started a revolution in footwear design, where footwear enthusiasts found themselves without a degree in design but with free reign over the digital footwear space. This occurrence conveniently coincided with the rise of NFTs, where, for a short time, companies capitalized on digital assets, a big chunk of the share being virtual shoes. Used in video games as skins or on social media platforms, many pairs were auctioned for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nike, together with their new acquisition, RTFKT, created 20 000 NFTs in a collection, called Cryptokicks, and pulled in external designers with the magnitude of Takashi Murakami, who generated unmatched hype around the new virtual designs and a sale of $134 000 for one of the pairs and $3.1 million for the whole collection. Other brands, like Gucci and ASICS, have also had a taste of the sweet blockchain-generated dollar, with the latter selling a 189-piece ‘digital footwear products’ collection via an auction in the form of NFTs.
Despite the cash, generated through virtual sales, 3D sneaker design was originally initiated in order to make cool shoe designs more affordable, and to integrate a more intuitive and imaginative process for sneakerheads to recreate their fantasies. Many consider this type of sneaker creation more environmentally friendly, compared to the traditional shoe making process, which is true, with the exception of NFTs. As they are regularly purchased with the digital currency Etherium, where each transaction consumes energy with 110 kilograms of CO2 footprint, the process is far from sustainable.
Seeing NFTs as a rather short-lived phenomenon, however, companies are now rebranding their digital efforts, generating real-life products from some of the virtual designs. Nike x RTFKT’s IRL Cryptokicks have been a success with the Dunk Clone X Edition serving as proof that digital design nerds have much better chances of landing a collab with a giant like Nike now than they did prior to the NFT era.
This new segment of the footwear industry has introduced some especially interesting artists, like Arsen Aldyngarov, who imaginatively utilizes round shapes, a multitude of materials and alien-like elements to show the internet what futurism in footwear could look like. Or ILIJA NIKOLIĆ (@bru_slee), whose completely over-the-top car-inspired aerodynamic kicks and translucent materials allow the new generation of sneakerheads to witness a complete fest of imagination, not bound to any production timelines, gravity rules or functionality restrictions.
Being displayed on increasingly emerging inspirational platforms like forty_two_and_a_half, where various designers show off their virtual design skills and imagination, footwear finally dissolves into this form of pure art, where culture has been trying to place it for decades.
With AI coming into play and multiple shoe Augmented Reality platforms flooding the Apple Store, there are many exciting and unpredictable places the footwear industry can take its clients, supporters and creators.
High-Utility Footwear: Longevity vs Performance
When it comes to sports shoes, though, the focus remains predominantly on the longevity and performance of footwear as opposed to its artistic value.
While some of the high-output activities have lower impact on the longevity of the shoe, for instance hiking, walking, and climbing, others, like running and skateboarding, wear out kicks pretty quickly. Therefore, a set of different factors is considered when engineering or purchasing footwear. Some high-end collaborations, like above’s Nike Air Jordan, might be well-preserved as a collectors’ item or intergenerational pieces but most running shoes are known to age rapidly.
Unfortunately, when worn out, footwear can induce various joint and muscle injuries, and an average running shoe will be dead by the time it reaches 800 km, or 6 months for the median runner. Factors, contributing to the lifespan of a trainer, are the cushioning system (which is designed to absorb the impact of the body striking the ground), the durability of the upper (lack of pressure points or weakness in the material structure), the longevity of the midsole (based on its contents and structure), and the outsole (firmness and synergy with the midsole).
Multiple apps for lifespan tracking and hygiene routines can help increase longevity of high-performance footwear, however, running shoes can rarely be repaired. Therefore, when designing and investing in a new pair, intentionality is key.
According to Toby Wu, Footwear Pattern Engineer for On Running,
‘Durability of shoes is a complex topic’ He also points out that ‘ There is no single component or formula that makes a shoe more durable. You have to consider many factors. Anatomy and biomechanics of the person wearing them, the various uses of the shoe, the environment it is being used in, etc. As a best practice in creating shoes, it would be good to ensure that the first point of failure does not compromise the shoe entirely.’
Having in mind the foam, for example, one could decide to go for the cushier and most common EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), however, it is important to consider that it is generally less durable than Polyurethane (PU). Adidas’ Adios Pro 3, on the other hand, generates cushioning through ‘Energy Rods’ inside their Lightstrike Pro midsole. It is one of the best compression fatigue resistant running shoes.
How the midsole and outsole work together is key as well. If the outsole is thinner and firmer (which increases durability as opposed to a structured and thick outsole), it can move together with the midsole, preventing the shoe from wearing down prematurely. Asics, Adidas, as well as Pegasus 40 by Nike, have been repeatedly mentioned as good value for durability running footwear for their continuous upgrades and support in high-wear areas.
Many brands have put conscious efforts to neutralize the wasteful environmental impact of the high-performance footwear industry. Brands like Atreyu and On, as well as US retailer Sky Run, among others, have launched a subscription method, corresponding to the rapid turnaround in the running shoe world. The Swiss shoe expert, On, launched the Cyclon (both the name of the shoe and the subscription model for it), which is undyed and unadorned, with a minimum of 50% castor bean raw material origin. The idea behind this business model is that dedicated distance runners can automatically get their new pair when their lifespan runs out, while the company gets all of their material back, which they eventually put back into production circulation.
Many consumers are, however, reluctant to consume three pairs of shoes yearly, therefore the assumption is that either this model could be a little wasteful, or the shoe’s quality might be compromised. Because Cyclon is intended for semi-professional runners, who go through many more pairs than the average casual runner, in theory, the subscription should provide exactly what an athlete needs: upgrades and infinite support.
For most regular users this is a wasteful model and they often decide to opt for the more traditional repairability. As mentioned before, due to cost and intricacy, mending shoes is not very popular amongst brands. There are few, however, who have made it part of their policy when selling a product: Salewa, Veja and La Scarpa are all brands, who encourage repair.
In hopes to avoid the need for mending, Nike chose to explore modularity: a type of engineering, where product parts are designed for disassembly. Often a post-end-of-life cradle-to-cradle approach is implied.
Not using glue or any other toxic elements to attach the different parts of the super instagrammable Nike ISPA Link, the three elements of circularity are held together by just tension and good marketing. While the ISPA Link, as well as its sister (or brother,#genderequality), ISPA Link Axis, comprise a great casual shoe, customers still fail to trust its performance in fear that the shoe might be disassembled before the end of its natural lifespan.
Many relate the modularity approach to both environmental consciousness and planned obsolescence, where a product is designed to reduce its function after a certain period of time. Seemingly opposing to the notion of sustainability, this technique encourages consumers to replace their purchases more frequently, allowing for the daily business to run for big brands. In the end, it is survival of the fittest (and the richest) and only one of two achieves longevity: the product or the business.
Another contradiction between longevity and profitability is the intentional use of cheaper materials, which consequently increases profitability, considerably lowering footwear’s natural lifespan.
Longevity, though extremely important for environmental and financial reasons, is not the most popular criteria when purchasing a new pair of shoes. Therefore, brands focus on other components to market their product as more desirable.
As durability is rather difficult to assess when placing a purchase, advertising shoes through making performance or sustainability claims has been a preferred promotion technique among brands. Some of the most sought-after qualities for sports shoe buyers are good biomechanics, high levels of comfort, low weight, visual language, and trustworthiness, achieved via celebrity endorsement.
Former Mammut performance footwear designer, Krzysia Staniszewska, comments on how shoe engineers impact the balance between functionality and industry demands:
‘In the outdoor industry, performance always comes first and it defines materials and forms. Each time the team starts the creation process, the purpose is to make the shoe functionally better.
The environmental expectations of the industry call for a more balanced approach and we try to fulfill this as best as we can. In performance footwear, for less demanding terrains we have more opportunities in selecting recycled or natural content.
Conversely, whenever we design for higher altitudes and more demanding conditions, we have to put more emphasis on durability and protection. Therefore, the selection of materials and components is different, because, so far, recycled or natural content doesn’t always go together with endurance. For high functionality, longevity and reliability are essential.
Precisely this gap between demand and reality can, hopefully, encourage suppliers to keep innovating and designers and developers – to look for opportunities in construction.’
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What Is Next For The Footwear Industry
A status symbol for many, a form of creative expression for others, and a piece of highest performance and utility for all of us, the shoe is humanity’s cultural mirror. What the industry chooses to act upon in the future will define its set of priorities and reflect its attitude towards environment, function and artistry. Whether it’ll be simplification of the manufacturing process, reducing carbon emissions up to 30%, implementing microbally-grown synthetics, extracting colour from pigment-producing bacteria, relying on biotech silk or algae-based materials, scaling will be the most challenging aspect for all brands.
As an industry, which has proven its resilience and ambition for progress, experimentation and excellence, footwear has set the bar high, attracting determined artists and explorers, who will characterize the shoe beyond its function as a desirable object and affirm its status as the highest indicator for societal progress.
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Resources:
https://www.vogue.com/article/adidas-sambas-history
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a42329261/adidas-samba-sneaker-trend/
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/sneakers-auction-house-category-1202676047/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/style/adidas-yeezy-nike-sneaker-market.html
https://www.solereview.com/most-durable-running-shoes-of-2017/
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/18/news/coming-up-with-the-shoe-that-matches-the-sport.html
