In the wake of reading Paul Arden’s “it’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be”, I’ve decided to post a project that I’ve been sitting on for quite some time. Now, I don’t consider it finished, but I feel that I have become stale in my work,.
Please crit, point out my shortcomings, I am looking for ways to improve.
And if anything seems unclear, I’d be happy to answer you question.
“What’s wrong with it? How can I make it better?”
Regards, Sindri.
sweeeeeet!
very cool thinking and i like how you desribe your inspirattion. it might be a nice touch to add some textg that describes the process of how/why you went in the direction that you did on your sketch pages?
one things that really sticks out to me, is strong resemblance to the xii. maybe a little more detailing of the midsole/outsole and/or breaking/stopping some of the bands or only keeping the at the forefoot? right now it strikes me as a nu-retro 12. i like the sketches and the exploded view is bananas!!! might need some simplification or at least some call-out saying what each peice is for/does.
dope ish sindri!
maybe you could give me a synopsis of the book? was it the one mark recommended or de?
Sindri
Dude you ve pulled it out of the bag bru.
Good looking kick, great research work and the final render reminds me alot of the Carmello 1.5 render.
One piece of advice I find the rear out of proportion to the front and the toe cap a little bit too squared. However the TPU cover on the Quarter over the 3D mesh. And nice air bag work at the heel too.
Keep it up dood
TOMfoolery
Impressive presentation and background story but i find the actual design to be a let down after the top lefts ketch on the 2nd page i think. I like the “nautilus shell” visual you started in that sketch but I think you could have broght that elemnt right down into the heel/outsole design. Your final rendering looks good but I jusy don;t see all the things you mentioned in your text in the design. But nice work all in all
Great presentation. Its nice to see someone showing there thought process visually.
An important element is missing from the design however, the outsole. How the outsole integrates into the design and is part of the performance of the shoe is a huge part of the story here. From the flex groves, to the traction pattern, the design should all hang together.
Personally I think you were closer on the secon board (top RIGHT sketch)
Sure the proportions are off, which is fine in a loose sketch like this, but the top line was more dynamic and fit the theme better (the elf shoe collar line kind of erks me, if only because it would restrict your Achilles)
The render style is a little flat, but very communicative which is great. I think the line work could be finessed a bit though. That midsole is looking a bit lumpy bumpy. In that initial concept sketch I think the extreme thick to thin midsole is more dynamic… and round that toe off a bit… like this:
Thanks guys, for all your comments.
sweeeeeet!
very cool thinking and i like how you desribe your inspirattion. it might be a nice touch to add some textg that describes the process of how/why you went in the direction that you did on your sketch pages?
one things that really sticks out to me, is strong resemblance to the xii. maybe a little more detailing of the midsole/outsole and/or breaking/stopping some of the bands or only keeping the at the forefoot? right now it strikes me as a nu-retro 12. i like the sketches and the exploded view is bananas!!! might need some simplification or at least some call-out saying what each peice is for/does.
dope ish sindri!
maybe you could give me a synopsis of the book? was it the one mark recommended or de?
Ade, yes I am aware of the XII resemblance, I intend to fade the grooves on the upper a bit. Did you notice that the grooves form 23 panels, 6 of them below the vis air.
Yes I feel you on the text, I struggle with finding the right balance between images and text. I want to make the viewer discover things for himself to some extent, to really look at the design. If you allow the viewer to use his imagination without feeding him too much information in text form, I believe he will feel more involved in the design. Of course to achieve that you must really be able to communicate your story through images. What are your thoughts on images vs. text?
You make some good suggestions, early in the development I had MJ’s signature on the lateral wing, but scrapped it for a cleaner look.
I actually have a little image describing the functions and materials used in each part of the upper. It was made before I changed the toe-cap. However I must admit that I’m no expert when it comes to material use, so bare with me.
SindriDude you ve pulled it out of the bag bru.
Good looking kick, great research work and the final render reminds me alot of the Carmello 1.5 render.
One piece of advice I find the rear out of proportion to the front and the toe cap a little bit too squared. However the TPU cover on the Quarter over the 3D mesh. And nice air bag work at the heel too.
Keep it up dood
TOMfoolery
Tom, right on the toecap is a bit too squared, I see that now. Mike DiTullo pointed it out as well.
Your positive comments on my rendering, mean a lot to me. I’ve used yours a lot for reference. I was stranded on that TPU quarter for weeks, glad to hear it’s looking believable.
Impressive presentation and background story but i find the actual design to be a let down after the top lefts ketch on the 2nd page i think. I like the “nautilus shell” visual you started in that sketch but I think you could have broght that elemnt right down into the heel/outsole design. Your final rendering looks good but I jusy don;t see all the things you mentioned in your text in the design. But nice work all in all
Drdoodle, could you maybe explain in which ways you find the final design a letdown? Is it because lack of details? I would really appreciate if you would.
I’m not sure what you mean by “nautilus shellâ€, are you referring to the all red sketch or the one where the blue outsole seems to reach up to form the heel counter?
Great presentation. Its nice to see someone showing there thought process visually.
An important element is missing from the design however, the outsole. How the outsole integrates into the design and is part of the performance of the shoe is a huge part of the story here. From the flex groves, to the traction pattern, the design should all hang together.
Personally I think you were closer on the secon board (top RIGHT sketch)
Sure the proportions are off, which is fine in a loose sketch like this, but the top line was more dynamic and fit the theme better (the elf shoe collar line kind of erks me, if only because it would restrict your Achilles)
The render style is a little flat, but very communicative which is great. I think the line work could be finessed a bit though. That midsole is looking a bit lumpy bumpy. In that initial concept sketch I think the extreme thick to thin midsole is more dynamic… and round that toe off a bit… like this:
DiTullo, I am currently working on the outsole. Outsole design is a part of footwear design, that I must admit to have neglected. I am aware of the importance of it, but I feel a bit intimidated by the whole thing. As you mentioned, “the flex groves, to the traction pattern, the design should all hang together.â€
I will post the outsole design here later this week, hopefully I can get as good and helpful feedback on that as I am receiving now.
It’s funny that you posted the sketch of the 18’s, because that shoe is excactly the reason I moved away from the curvy top line. I found it too similar.
When you talk about my render style, are you refering to the final rendering or my style overall? And do you have any helpful tips to make them pop out more?
Thanks again for all your responses guys, they really mean a lot to me.
PS. Regarding that book Ade, it is the one Mark recomended. It’s called “It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best Selling Book” by Paul Arden.
Although not a long read, I found lots of great ideas, advice and practical advice in it. Even though it is written by an advertising guru, and aimed at the ad industry it is definetly helpful for any person facing any task that requiers a creative solution.
It definetly offered me some fresh approaches to things such as sharing your ideas and work, accepting failiure, goal setting etc.
Definetly a great book, perhaps the best 8 dollars I´ve spent.
i cant see these for some reason, maybe the links broke? i’ve left it for 5 minutes and it still wont load. keen to see the work…!
KE: our server is slow at the moment. i cant see ish either
Yes I feel you on the text, I struggle with finding the right balance between images and text. I want to make the viewer discover things for himself to some extent, to really look at the design. If you allow the viewer to use his imagination without feeding him too much information in text form, I believe he will feel more involved in the design. Of course to achieve that you must really be able to communicate your story through images. What are your thoughts on images vs. text?
you and me both! most definitely images for me but you are right about trying to find the balance, i always wonder if my work is being communicated the way i intended and i do think that you were successful here just thinkin a lil’ text to higlight a specific annotation on a sketch or a discovery mad might make it even stronger?
Ade, yes I am aware of the XII resemblance, I intend to fade the grooves on the upper a bit. Did you notice that the grooves form 23 panels, 6 of them below the vis air.
in the larger scheme of things it is likely not as important as the work that lead up to it. i don’t know about the 23 panel thing, i never really been a fan of the counting details but it is a nice synchronistic detail…
I actually have a little image describing the functions and materials used in each part of the upper. It was made before I changed the toe-cap. However I must admit that I’m no expert when it comes to material use, so bare with me.
hahaha! who is? at best for me it is an educated guess, worse case total bs…i have not found that balance there in my work haha! it definitely shows you gave thought to its construction which should be a big plus
PS. Regarding that book Ade, it is the one Mark recomended. It’s called “It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best Selling Book” by Paul Arden
.
does have pictures? if it does not have pictures it is a difficult read for me, i am going to try and find a summary online…
all the porn sites seem to be working ok…
Is anybody still having problem with viewing the pictures? Maybe I should move them to a U.S. based server.
oes have pictures? if it does not have pictures it is a difficult read for me, i am going to try and find a summary online…
Yes, it does actually have some nice pictures, and it’s only 128 pages.
[quote="SindriP"DiTullo, I am currently working on the outsole. Outsole design is a part of footwear design, that I must admit to have neglected. I am aware of the importance of it, but I feel a bit intimidated by the whole thing. As you mentioned, “the flex groves, to the traction pattern, the design should all hang together.â€
I will post the outsole design here later this week, hopefully I can get as good and helpful feedback on that as I am receiving now.
It’s funny that you posted the sketch of the 18’s, because that shoe is excactly the reason I moved away from the curvy top line. I found it too similar.
When you talk about my render style, are you refering to the final rendering or my style overall? And do you have any helpful tips to make them pop out more?[/quote]
Sindri_ I figured that is why you changed the topline, but think of how many shoes have similar toplines! In this case, I feel the rounded topline fits the nautilus theme you are working i=with. The Nautilus shell is one of the many representations of the golden mean in nature, it seems that you may have hit on this accidentally, but I think it is a nice reference to the precision and mastery in MJ’s game. Most Renaissance masters used the golden section to lay out the compositions of their paintings. It was also frequently used in architecture of the period.
as far as the rendering, I was rendering only to the finished render. I think the darks and midtones could be pushed farther to make it jump off the page more. The light structure looks very good, as does the technique. Try lighting some shoes with a desk lamp in a dark room to study it.
Check out this rendering by Leonard Wozniak here at Nike who has one of the best rendering styles anywhere:
I figured that is why you changed the topline, but think of how many shoes have similar toplines!
topline? i am lost (nothing new)? is this the collar height?
I see what you mean, Mike. I will probably play a bit more with the topline.
And the “nautilus circle” is not there by an accident. I’ve only heard people refer to this phenomenon as the what would translate to english as the golden circle or the golden ratio.
I found it inspiring because it was used by everyone from the ancient Greeks and Romans, da Vinci to Le Corbusier in their search for aesthetic perfection.
I will put MJ in category with any of these without blinking an eye, as his will and determination for perfection was as strong as anybody.
In short, the use of the Golden or the Nautilus circle signals the eternal strive for betterment and eventually, perfection.
Yes, I stumbled upon Leonard Wozniak’s Coroflot the other day, truly amazing work. I just love the unusual angle of the Kobe shoe.
Do you know what methods he uses ?, eventhough they seem very computerized there seems to some freehand drawing in there, a tablet perhaps?
Ade, yes I guess the collar is sometimes refered to as topline. New to me as well.
Really nice concept Sindri!
I’ve looked at your shoes for a lot of times in order to find out something helpful to suggest you. But it is really tough! You did a great job, really.
I like the simple style and the way you’ve kept yourself outside from big celebrative recalls. The shoe stands on its own.
Someone pointed out a similatity with the Jordan XII, but I think the collar line (check medial view in the pic below…thanks Prof K…where are u???) and the midsole proportions have something in common with the Air Jordan XIV, which is one of my favourite.
This to say your design incorporates healthy Jordan spirit, but in a subtle way.
One of the most difficult thing to me in designing air jordans (for fun…
) is the balance between detail and cleaness. I think you also did a good job in this phase.
The only thing missing, and the one I’d really like to see is the outsole design.
In fact when you design a shoe like this one, the outsole could be the key that allows you to fully read the shoe. It’s the glass trough you can see the technology, the place where you can find key details and, for a performance driven concept, the way everything is connected to the ground allowing you to play a bit harder than you could expect.
Talking about functionality, I think you could add a flexible part at the heel to minimize chafing problems between achilleus tendon and collar. A flexible panel or a “hole” in the main leather panel could work, and you can also use it to add a further detailing element.
The presentation is also very well done. The only thing that I don’t totally like is the rendering for a few reason…1) it’s a little bit too clear…a little more contrast would be fine (just my opinion…) 2) the midsole shape loses a little of the power and speed it has in the sketches, the lines are not perfectly linked from midfoot to forefoot. You’ve brought in the golden section inspiration element, so your curves link could be at least perfect!!! 
3) the carolina colorway is nice, but a classic-jordan-bulls-white-bleck-red-grey-… colorway, like the one you’ve done in the sketches, would be better for the 23rd model of the series.
The last thing I want to tell you is that your recent stuff is very inspirational for me…it pushes me to bring my pencil a start new stuff!!!
So… thanks! and ciaooo
MC [pietro]
hello sindri
well done, i simply like the intention of staying tuned with the jordan DNA which i confess, must be harder, due to the number of products made every season, much respect to those commited to keep it up with the jordan brand values.
I wont go into tone of details as overall look is been discussed in diferent feedback
I question one detail especially. refering to the exploded view (vertically) the position of the carbon plate.
every foot is different, consider a sample size, all peoples bones, are not placed equally the bones are the same, but don’t have the same length or width (visualize the difference between caucasian feet and samoan feet that are far wider…)
then if u want that blue cushioning pieces to work with efficiency, u need to make them more consistant, to cover the foot range variation, mainly in the fore foot area, or u move the stiff plate over them then u end up going with a better load distribution .
by doing this, with the plate closer to the foot, u stabilize and energize your player, (as the pads are not to thick) and u allow a good deformation or adaption of the tooling to the ground surface when the player is shifting direction.
then giving more substance to your cushioning system, u can reduce the amont of EVA where its not needed.
thats it so far,
good job overall
