One of These Amateur Sneaker Designs Will Be Sold at Foot Locker

Age: 27

Country: U.S. (Oakland, CA)

When I became interested in sneakers: Since I was a kid, I’ve always had a passion for shoes. I never really cared for any toys or video games or things like that. But for some reason, as a kid, I always wanted shoes. There are pictures of me when I was a baby where I had Jordans on. So I guess it was just put on me by my dad. 

Why I design sneakers: [I love] having a shoe that just makes me feel good about what I’m wearing and where I go. So, if I was to design shoes and see somebody feeling great about themselves wearing my shoes, that would be like the best feeling ever. I don’t think [any] feeling could be better than that. That’s what really pushes me.

Inspiration behind my sneaker design: Family is everything to me. Everything. I actually got stuck on the night submissions were due. I couldn’t think of anything, but the thing that got me out of it was my family. I remembered a funny situation my little brother got into. We have a 22-year age difference, and he’s fearless. He doesn’t care about touching bugs or animals, but one time [when] we were hanging out, he touched a rollie pollie, it curled up on him, and he freaked out. Out of all the bugs—spiders, mosquitoes—it was a rollie pollie. I started laughing. I was like out of all the things, you got freaked out by that? So I put the rollie pollie in my hand and that’s when I thought, “How can I incorporate the essence of a rollie pollie into a sneaker?” And from that point, I started looking up some things that symbolized stability and structure and protection because those are important to a shoe. It brought me to a beetle, and that’s why I incorporated beetles to the bottom unit of the sneaker. 

Why people should vote for my sneaker design: My design is something that hasn’t been seen. It’s something fresh and something new. We’re at a stage where millennials express themselves in their own way, and my shoes are a perfect example of something like that. 

My goals beyond the competition: I don’t see myself in any world other than sneakers or footwear. That’s all I want to do for the rest of my life… I would also love to mentor, and I’d love teach at some point so I can give back to the generations after me just like the generation before me.

Age: 20

Country: U.S. (Minnesota)

When I became interested in sneakers: It was probably right around middle school—7th grade. Growing up, my parents would only let me get one pair of shoes, so I really wanted to get the cool shoe. But once I started playing basketball more, I guess I got into them.  

Why I design sneakers: I wasn’t necessarily good at basketball, so I guess [designing] was kind of like my outlet. I could be apart of it. I like to design basketball shoes preferably over casual shoes. I wasn’t able to play to my full ability, so I picked up shoes.

Inspiration behind my sneaker design: During my freshman year of college, I was sitting in a class and someone said that some things are so good that they don’t need to change. They said shoelaces have been the same forever, and that kind of made me think of a new way I could go about shoe lacing. So that’s like the main focus of the design—the shoelaces. And then, as far as my design, I focused on the production of it. Like I thought about if this were to be real, how would it be done? I wanted it to be simple at the end of the day. There’s only like four pieces to it: the mesh upper, the tongue, the leather going up the side, and the heel clip. So yeah, there’s only really four parts to it. Then, I focused on the colorways of it. I created like 50-something colorways, and then asked people which one they liked best. And then came up with the maroon one. It’s supposed to be a casual shoe for a 20 year-old male in a city of your choice. 

Why people should vote for my sneaker design: They should vote on it if they’d like to wear it themselves. That’s why I think I just want to try something that people like and enjoy it.

My goals beyond the competition: I want to be a shoe designer. I’m from Minnesota, I’m a big fan of Andrew Wiggins. I’d like to potentially make a signature shoe for him. That’d be like the pinnacle.

Age: 19

Country: France (Lille)

How I became interested in sneakers: I practice a lot of sports. I play tennis. I skateboard. I’ve tried basketball and running… I noticed early that the shoes you’re wearing are really important according to the activity you’re practicing. But I truly got into this field at college when I felt more comfortable with my design skills. This universe helped me explore new shapes.

Why I design sneakers: It’s a product where you’re free to do what you want. You can use a lot of different materials, lots of different shape languages and functions. It was liberating to sketch sneakers compared to the [other] school projects I had to work on. Sneakers are also a product that people need, and [it’s] constantly evolving, so people are open to new things. They’re looking for something highly unique.

Inspiration behind my sneaker design: This design was born before the World Sneaker Championship. Me and my friends were looking for a personal project, but we had no brief. One night, while I was working, I thought about a pair of shoes that had a sole, which looked like it was on fire when it touched the ground—[like] the children’s game where all the ground is lava so you can’t touch it. Then came the World Sneaker Championship. I worked hard to get something harmonious that represented what I wanted—something elegant, dynamic, out of the box, and highly futuristic.

Why people should vote for my sneaker design: These sorts of contests are searching for fresh visions. There are tons of designers [who] create shoes [that] are better than me, but what I bring is a new vision. There are lots of really original designs, but we never see them in the street. They are like pieces of art that you can only see on the web. I think if my design [was] manufactured, it could be the beginning of a new wave of sneakers.

My goals beyond the competition: My professional goal is to become an entertainment designer. My dream job would be to make sci-fi movies, draw the future, and play [with] symbolism. I’m passionate about cinema. To me, a movie is a [great] way to inspire people. The sneaker is a product that touches a lot of people. You can use a lot of new technologies. I [would] love to integrate a highly creative brand like adidas with Y-3. I want a place where I could experiment with a lot of things [and] work with engineers on new technologies with the possibility of production.

Age: 32

Country: Philippines

When I became interested in sneakers: As a young kid, around 8 or 9 years old, my aunt [who lived in the States] would ask us to send her traced outlines of our feet on a piece of paper. Come Christmas, boxes of assorted gifts she bought would arrive. You knew [which] pair was yours by finding the shoe with your feet outline inside. Later, I discovered basketball. I'm a ‘90s kid and growing up with local basketball idols and wanting to be like them nurtured my interest in sneakers.

Why I design sneakers: It's fun. I always carry a sketchbook with me. Designing sneakers helps me escape from pressures and think clearly. Intellectually, [designing shoes] can be broken down into solving a problem and telling a story. The shoes we wear affect our physical and mental condition—our posture, confidence, mood, and performance. The look of shoes allows us to share something about ourselves, a thumbnail of our personality—what we do, what we believe in. The successful translation of words in a story into footwear is one of the most satisfying feelings. 

Inspiration behind my sneaker: Manila, before the war, was a progressive young capital. In the city was a street called Escolta. It was where you found the best retail, institutions, architecture, and commerce. During the same era, we had our own rubber shoe manufacturing facility in a company named El Porvenir Rubber Products Inc. It was a local company that created the "Elpo" canvas shoe line with the tagline, "Malinis at Malamig para sa Paa." Roughly translated, it means, "Clean and cool to the feel of the feet." The images of Escolta street scenes [combined] with Elpo's tagline was my design criteria for this project. The look was inspired by the fashion of that era, being under the Americans and living in hot and humid climate. Those qualities work hand in hand with the "clean and cool to the feet" tagline. I used that in my shoe by keeping the design lines visually clean and incorporating breathable cutouts on the upper. It's a modern translation of the old Manila charm.

Why people should vote for my sneaker design: If the story speaks to them, then they might vote for my design. My design represents a segment of a city's history, culture, and thinking. It is a telling of a once progressive city, comparable to any of the best in the world, and the vision of a company founder who dared to compete with the best. It's a reminder of one's past greatness and what one [is] capable of doing. 

My goals beyond the competition: [I want] to be a signature line athletic footwear designer.