Hi guys just a little collaberation of my Uni work.
Just finished and i got a 1st BA (hons) in Footwear Design.
Thanks
Nice work,
I especially like your use of material. I like your focus here on the heel area as well. These forward thinking concepts should help get you noticed.
may I ask, where are u finishing school?
hotmix_ you are presenting your work much cleaner, it really shows the design off more. I’m still not a fan of that shot where all you see is the medial side of each shoe (white/soft grey/lime colorway), I like that shoe a lot, but I don’t feel that the photo highlights the design.
Just finished at De Montfort Uni in Leicester.
Its been a turbulent time, really the final year has been completely self directed, no course leader and my class and i have come through it with the highest number of 1st degree hons ever. I would and wouldnt recomend it.
We had Nike come to are degree show, Lisa Oliva she came round looked at the work took some pictures and spoke to a coulpe of us.
she said that if you want to work for big branded compaines like Nike, Adi, Puma you need to have a porduct or Industrial back ground education. Which to me is a big disapointment, My choice to do footwear design was because of the niche and specific direction that was what i wanted to go down. And to be told that they only employ Prod/Indus is so depressing.
they know nothing about constructing upppers/ seams/ edge treatments/ patterns. all things that need to be considerd. “Just because they supposedly think out side the box”
I also understand that function is a factor.
DMU teaches you these things, but has little to offer in the area of sporting and performance related designing.
If i had the time the money and maybe the brain power to studie another degree I would.
Iam So pleased when people like the work that i love creating
Thanks
Reuben
i think your stuff is really nice dude! i like the mix of formal and influence of sport in your stuff. though industrial/product design degree is the preffered route, i do not believe it would it is the end of the road. especially if you were able to get in the industry and gain experience elsewhere, it would likely trumph your lack of an id background…
agreed, get in the industry and then you can jockey around once you get professional experience…
I used the same heel through the whole range.
Rubber inserts were modeled out of wax
I have to disagree with some of what Lisa says - I know MANY designers who work for athletic footwear brands who don’t have industrial design degrees. Perhaps this is more of a Nike /USA bias, it certainly isn’t this way in Europe. Mentioning no names, I know someone who designs athletic footwear, but has a FINE ART degree from your Uni! I don’t have one of those degrees either, but I’ve been a designer for athletic footwear brands in the past, and been headhunted by all the big athletic brands.
I think it comes down to being able to think outside the box. If you are talented you will succeed, your degree being just a piece of paper - oh and congrats. I scraped a 2/2 on your course. Well done!
Congratulations hotmix
Your work looks very accomplished and definitely expresses your passion and dedication to your art.
Good luck
mogus
Hello Ruben
Shoenista is definately right
having a degree in industrial design or not doesn’t Matter at all. if u follow these points carefully.
express your passion
be commited and persuaded in what u want to do.
be more than open to any criticism.
valuate any criticism as well
don’t be defensive
don’t be self confident in what u don’t know
in a way, ask as long u want to learn
share your knowledge in order to get what u miss.
be a vector of communication , not a filled bottle.
be patient, look for intership to deep in our reality,
plus getting in by the back door, gives u the chance to learn and work twice more as the people surrounding you without stress and responsibilities,
it gives u also the freedom of doing mystakes
again, think five years ahead,
question why and / or deny what we all are doing today,
then one day by creating your future, u create ours.
All i see is someone who understands footwear,
but with the need of a mentor, someone that can lead u to find yourself be accurate, detailed in all of aspects of our job, from sketches to final product.
the most important aspect of your profile that may create an interest to whatever brand is your intention, "what make s u different of someone else???
this is more or less the path i followed when i left the sunny south of France for the cloudy north in order to start my first ever internship at Decathlon back to 98, then i have been to Fila for 2 other years and today, and after finding and approving my design methodology, I have been integrated in Adidas innovation Team as an advance designer. newly promoted senior designer.
Nobody would have guessed that I could integrate that profession with a master degree in cultural and social anthropology. excepted me!..
we are not building aeroplanes…
if it is what u want, all I can say is
never give up.
Hey antonell07
Thanks for those great words of wisdom, i know that i need to gain expirence and develop my passion to break in to the top flight. Its true when you say “be patient” & “evaluate any criticism”. I know i will get there i have such a strong will be become a good great top established designer.
Thanks for your inspiring words
i really appreicate them
this has also helped me, sites like these are so important and im super glad i came across it, nice shoes hotmix, i like your use of colour give the way it seperates the different parts of the shoes kinda enhances there function i guess