Shoe design thread v2

[wake and bacon]

amazing. what's the over/under on how long it takes for one of these designs to get poached by sole tech?

[Glurmpz]

I'm not totally feeling Arto's designs, but I feel like a big part of that is the drawings. It's hard to see a real shoe. Even the more subdued designs look a bit too wild for me, but again, maybe that's just due to viewing them as a 2d drawing. Dude is clearly an actual designer and I definitely give him the respect for that. I like to mock up shoes too but I'm just a very amateur photoshop hack so it's not at all the same as doing proper spec sheets.

Arto - have you tried using real images of shoes to photoshop mock ups together? That's what I did when I designed some for fun. I used photos of a Reebok Workout, Emerica Figgy, and Es' Accel Slim Plus to make my own dream Emerica shoe.

I just call this one the Corona, for obvious reasons. I'd skate the fuck out of these. I like more classic, simple desings.

[Arto Saari]

Hey @Glurmpz thanks for the feedback. I could see how my drawings can be kind of straining to look at due to the lack of contrast and depth. My style is very 2D. I purposely omit shadows and highlights for my own stupid reasons.. And although my shapes are intentional and highly considered, Its also very possible that my proportions are impossible and my drawings are complete lies.

As for using photoshop to chop shoes together, I have not done it and I’m not sure I ever will, mostly because it just doesn’t fit into my workflow. I always start on paper so I can ideate and explore quickly, then when I find something I like, I take a picture and go straight to illustrator.

I think the main thing is that we just have very different tastes. The stuff I’m sharing now is very 90s, and in general, I like my skate shoes to look unapologetically ‘skate’. Based on your mockups you like a more modern and clean style with a hint of ‘skate’. I like that kind of stuff as well, but more for chilling off the board. I, too, have an emerica dream shoe concept that I'll be sharing soon and its essentially the polar opposite of what you made. Those are clean mockups though. It would probably take me all day to make those in photoshop. They're are not my style personally, but I could see people liking them. I also see that og ellington colorway 

[Arto Saari]

Thirsty Thursday… again. Sorry to keep you guys waiting

Today we have the ‘celeste’, the third and final installment from the Genesis collection.

Based on the legendary status of the SLB mid, I knew I needed a mid-top shoe in the collection. Over the course of the design process, these unintentionally took on an air jordan X vibe with the wavy panel on the side. I guess it’s a moment of synergy considering the SLB took cues from the air jordan IX.

This one is super hot. These they would have to pay me for..

[Watson]

Arto, I really like that Genesis collection. I started skating the year you were born so really love the look of those early day eS shoes. I'm definitely not one of those "Golden Era" dudes though. I don't want to skate some clunky garbage they used to make. Not sure I would rock stuff that you design, but I think you're designing stuff way better than they are making.

Even though I gave it to you in the other thread for posting them, I am definitely enjoying the designs in a proper thread.

[Arto Saari]

Hey Watson, I'm glad you like the genesis stuff. Its nice to hear that it resonates with someone who experienced that era first hand. I’m definitely stoked on certain aspects of the ‘golden era’, but I’m certainly not one of those people who has dedicated their life to flexing all of their old gear on Instagram and preaching to “bring back the puff, bro”... not to say I don’t have a dope collection of stuff from that era, but that’s all for me. I feel It gives me credibility as a designer.

But I’m with you 100% on not wanting to skate the clunky garbage they used to make. I think all of the recent eS retros are incredibly.. unfortunate.. I wouldn’t be caught dead in a single pair. All of my designs are intended to feel like a skate shoe in 2020, but with the design quality that was present in the late 90s. Original harmonies, with a substantial physical quality, yet nimble overall. No more clunky reissues!

[Arto Saari]

♫ It's Just another manic Monday ♫

Today we have the 'Aspect'. This is me being really selfish as a designer and creating exactly what I want out of a cupsole shoe. I'm fully prepared to accept the fact that no one else would wear these.

The aspect is supposed to feel like an emerica shoe from 1999 in terms of substance and quality, but rather than being a poorly translated retro-inspired design, these would feel like a modern day continuation of the philosophy of late 90s skateboard footwear design.

30% less padding, and built on a sleeker more modern last. (a low profile, somewhat pointy toe, and a slightly elongated vamp). Layered paneling and an authentic rubber toe cap. None of that cheap, screened on bullsh*t!

And just as a bonus, a FREE extra pair of laces with every pair! (Holy Sh*t!!)

"All I wanna know is, who's coming with me?.."





That concludes all of my 90s style, branded cupsole designs. The next time I share something it will be a vulc with my own branding.

[pugmaster]

♫ It's Just another manic Monday ♫

Today we have the 'Aspect'. This is me being really selfish as a designer and creating exactly what I want out of a cupsole shoe. I'm fully prepared to accept the fact that no one else would wear these.

The aspect is supposed to feel like an emerica shoe from 1999 in terms of substance and quality, but rather than being a poorly translated retro-inspired design, these would feel like a modern day continuation of the philosophy of late 90s skateboard footwear design.

30% less padding, and built on a sleeker more modern last. (a low profile, somewhat pointy toe, and a slightly elongated vamp). Layered paneling and an authentic rubber toe cap. None of that cheap, screened on bullsh*t!

And just as a bonus, a FREE extra pair of laces with every pair! (Holy Sh*t!!)

"All I wanna know is, who's coming with me?.."





That concludes all of my 90s style, branded cupsole designs. The next time I share something it will be a vulc with my own branding.

Loving your ideas, definitely better than what es is churning out.  I get so excited when I hear they are dropping re-releases and they are completely dumpster fires.

This shoe in particular I would buy many of.  Reminds me of a cross between Reynolds and Templeton.

Kelly or Don.... If you are reading this.... HIRE THIS GUY TO MAKE SOME WEARABLE SHOES!

[Arto Saari]

@Pugmaster Thanks for the compliments. I, too, am left disenchanted every time eS leaks a new catalog.. I am equally disappointed when emerica releases new cupsole shoes that are designed to look like vulc shoes. Part of the reason I don't wear vulc shoes is because I don't like how they look.. why would I buy a cupsole shoe that looks exactly the same?

But you nailed it on the head. This is supposed to look like a cross between the Reynolds 1 and Templeton 1. The Reynolds is a personal favorite for me, but the Templeton is an underrated masterpiece of footwear design imo. Incredibly clean and sophisticated even to this day.. they also look amazing on film and in photos

[sus]

where'd you learn how to do all of this? this looks way too professional/legit to just be on the slap message boards haha

[Watson]

one of those people who has dedicated their life to flexing all of their old gear on Instagram and preaching to “bring back the puff, bro”

I fucking hate those people.

[jay_nev]

I like the Aspect. Looks fun. 4 visible branding elements are a bit much though. nice work

[Gray Imp Sausage Metal]

Loving the Templeton 1 vibes, that shoe got a lot of love back in the day for good reason; it looked great and skated really well. Also was fairly slim when compared to everything else that was coming out at the time!

I’d rock basically every shoe you’ve designed and love that you also mention that there’d be a vegan/ synth version of each model.

[Eggie Vedder]

The aspect looks great. I find myself buying big brands to get a slimmer cupsole but I would much rather skate a smaller core brand. I started skating in 2000 so these designs resonate with me but also look fresh. I get bummed that I hate everything the brands I grew up with are doing. I feel like these would hit real hard right now by harking back to that era without being a reissue. Some times reissues are just a bizarro version of the original or the original just doesn’t look as good today. I like the idea of pulling inspiration but making something new.

TL:DR I like them. Would buy.

[Arto Saari]

@sus I’m self-taught. I’ve been pursuing footwear design with the intention of doing it for a living for about 10 years now. I also don’t live in SoCal, nor do I know anyone in the industry, so the only option I have is to grind like a maniac and hope it all works out.

@Watson the ‘bring back the puff’ dudes might be the worst demographic in skateboarding. Unfortunately, the kind folks at eS seem to worship and bow down to them..

@jay_nev thanks, glad you like them. The logo on the midsole probably wouldn’t make it to production, so let’s call it 3 visual branding elements

@Gay Imp Sausage Metal The Templeton 1 is incredible. My take is no where near as good as the OG, but I’m glad you’re a fan! I could draw shoes everyday for the next 50 years and I’m not sure I’d ever be able to come up with a skate shoe design that looks as good. Aside from the primitive execution, they’re flawless.

As for the vegan/synth stuff… We flew a monkey to outer space... it should be no problem to make at least 1 vegan friendly colorway of each design. I'm not vegan myself, but I wouldn’t mind raking in the cash from you guys

@Eggie Vedder this is exactly what I’m talking about. I also started skating in 2000. I was 5 years old so I didn’t know sh*t, but I always thought the shoes were f*cking DOPE when we went to the skate shop. To see what the core brands have been making for the last 15 years in comparison is just plain disheartening.

I’m fine with vulc shoes, I don’t skate them personally, but I’m fine with them existing as long as there are options for the rest of us. I do, however, have a big problem with the whole reissue thing.. They’re spending crazy amounts of money on tooling etc, but they’re not adding anything new to the culture. All we get is a bastardized version of a shoe from 20 years ago. So basically, 20 years from now, the current generation of kids are supposed to be nostalgic about the same shoes that the old dudes were nostalgic about 40 years prior?? That’s selfish as f*ck. Give the kids their own silhouettes to obsess over 20 years from now. Let skateboarding do its part to further the discussion, and define the aesthetic of footwear in street culture as it once did.

TL/DR: We’re on the same page. I’m glad you like my designs

[Arto Saari]

I know I said the next time I share something it would be a vulc, but I don’t have anything I want to share at this time, and I'd hate to leave this thread with a wall of text, so here is a behind the scenes look at how the process begins for me. Printer paper and a sharpie pen. This is an early look at an axion shoe concept I might pursue if you guys think its worth my time. By ‘you guys’ I mean whoever is running the axion relaunch. Time for some AXION to get paid!