- leather
- Rubber sole
- Textured cracked leather upper
- Round, leather laced moc toe
- Tiny hidden dual elastic side gores
- Textured rubber tread outsole
Great balls of fire...
To mark the arrival of the new Vein Shoe Store in the Brisbane CBD (Brisbane Arcade - Adelaide Street), I present the temporary Vein Tri-Dot in red anodized aluminium at the Treasury Casino entrance.
Competition Finalists Announced!
Thank you and well done to everyone who entered Vein Wear's inaugural Shoe Design Competition. The company was blown away by the standard and creativity exhibited by entrants from all over the world.
Unfortunately there can only be three finalists, and online voters have chosen (in no particular order):
Drum roll please...
Entry Number 10: Westerly Boot by Andrew James (USA)
Entry Number 24: Zipped Oxford Shoe by Spiro Manolopoulos (Australia)
Entry Number 32: Vagrant Shoe by Chih-Chieh Yu (Taiwan)
Congratulations! Your entries will now be forwarded to the second judging panel on February 3. The winner will be announced Wednesday March 3 at the gala opening night of Vein Wear's new Brisbane city boutique.
After talking with Evie (competition graphic designer) we decided that the entry designs are of such a high standard that they don't need to be re-drawn. So they will be submitted to the judging panel as entered. Kudos to you guys :)
Unfortunately there can only be three finalists, and online voters have chosen (in no particular order):
Drum roll please...
Entry Number 10: Westerly Boot by Andrew James (USA)
Entry Number 24: Zipped Oxford Shoe by Spiro Manolopoulos (Australia)
Entry Number 32: Vagrant Shoe by Chih-Chieh Yu (Taiwan)
Congratulations! Your entries will now be forwarded to the second judging panel on February 3. The winner will be announced Wednesday March 3 at the gala opening night of Vein Wear's new Brisbane city boutique.
After talking with Evie (competition graphic designer) we decided that the entry designs are of such a high standard that they don't need to be re-drawn. So they will be submitted to the judging panel as entered. Kudos to you guys :)
Where have all the fashion designers gone?
Article from Inside Retailing by Peter James Ryan:
Australia used to have a plethora of signature designers. Many of them eccentric, but most with great flair and a voice that drove a unique take on the fashion of the times.
Where the hell have they all gone?
With a few notable exceptions, many of the fashion businesses that exist in Australia today don’t have any designers at all. They have buyers whose skills revolve around specification and range construction. But they don’t design in the classic sense. And this is becoming a real issue.
Global sourcing has changed everything – some of it for the better. But there is a looming problem getting closer and closer. It all starts with trend. Basically there are three major trend-forecasting leaders in the world of fashion and everybody uses them. This makes sense from the perspective of de-risking direction but starts the ‘me-too’ process from the very germ of inspiration. The international brands, the factories, the advertising agencies, the media – everyone uses the trend-forecasters view as input into their own processes.
Despite predictions to the contrary, the vast majority of Australian fashion still follows the Northern Hemisphere – in trend, in design and in sourcing. More often than not we use the same factories as those that produce for the Northern Hemisphere and more often than not with the same fabrics. Sometimes it goes even further than that.
Buyers still go to Europe on buying trips and still put together their ranges based on influence from overseas. They go to factories in China, Vietnam, India and Turkey and look at what the international brands have sourced then they add their specifications to items to make them fit their ranges.
What the customer sees is minor variations between items. Fashion magazines even play to this with “get the look’ columns that point out the similarities and how the look can be achieved for less by substituting one brand for another.
Where this is heading is that the customers are seeing more and more sameness and buying in a non-committed way based on seasonal interpretation and price. When the international brand that created the ‘fame’ for the original comes to Australia the customer is then faced with the trade-up or trade-down choice and while this is not a one-size fits all decision, it begins to undermine the position of the local fashion business.
Add to that the growing share of the fashion business that the internet is now garnering and you see where all this is headed. It is time – right now – for Australian fashion businesses to re-discover the power of designers to create lasting profit gain through originality. There is no time to lose.
The current strategy of de-risking is what is actually creating the risk. The fashion world is now on-show and exposed to the world. And creativity and originality that is acknowledged and desired by the customer is the only recipe for continued success.
Australia used to have a plethora of signature designers. Many of them eccentric, but most with great flair and a voice that drove a unique take on the fashion of the times.
Where the hell have they all gone?
With a few notable exceptions, many of the fashion businesses that exist in Australia today don’t have any designers at all. They have buyers whose skills revolve around specification and range construction. But they don’t design in the classic sense. And this is becoming a real issue.
Global sourcing has changed everything – some of it for the better. But there is a looming problem getting closer and closer. It all starts with trend. Basically there are three major trend-forecasting leaders in the world of fashion and everybody uses them. This makes sense from the perspective of de-risking direction but starts the ‘me-too’ process from the very germ of inspiration. The international brands, the factories, the advertising agencies, the media – everyone uses the trend-forecasters view as input into their own processes.
Despite predictions to the contrary, the vast majority of Australian fashion still follows the Northern Hemisphere – in trend, in design and in sourcing. More often than not we use the same factories as those that produce for the Northern Hemisphere and more often than not with the same fabrics. Sometimes it goes even further than that.
Buyers still go to Europe on buying trips and still put together their ranges based on influence from overseas. They go to factories in China, Vietnam, India and Turkey and look at what the international brands have sourced then they add their specifications to items to make them fit their ranges.
What the customer sees is minor variations between items. Fashion magazines even play to this with “get the look’ columns that point out the similarities and how the look can be achieved for less by substituting one brand for another.
Where this is heading is that the customers are seeing more and more sameness and buying in a non-committed way based on seasonal interpretation and price. When the international brand that created the ‘fame’ for the original comes to Australia the customer is then faced with the trade-up or trade-down choice and while this is not a one-size fits all decision, it begins to undermine the position of the local fashion business.
Add to that the growing share of the fashion business that the internet is now garnering and you see where all this is headed. It is time – right now – for Australian fashion businesses to re-discover the power of designers to create lasting profit gain through originality. There is no time to lose.
The current strategy of de-risking is what is actually creating the risk. The fashion world is now on-show and exposed to the world. And creativity and originality that is acknowledged and desired by the customer is the only recipe for continued success.
What is Nubuck?
Nubuck is a type of leather with a soft, velvety surface and is some of the most expensive leather to purchase. Unlike the less expensive suede, nubuck leather is far more durable and is excellent for use on items like furniture because it will last much longer than suede. It is subject to the same kind of easy staining that occurs with suede and often requires pre-treatment or stain resistant protection to extend its life.
It’s easy to get confused about whether a leather item is nubuck or suede since both look and feel similar. Both types of leather are sanded to produce the velvet soft feel that is so desirable. The main difference is that nubuck is sanded on the outer surface of the leather, essentially the part that would have been the exterior skin of the animal, while suede is sanded on the inner layer of the skin.
Since the outside layer of a skin is much tougher, nubuck lasts much longer and responds very well to this sanding process. It does show imperfections in the exterior layer of the skin much more easily, and is often treated with dyes, sometimes simply clear ones, to disguise any significant flaws. The sanding process can create further imperfections when not done correctly, so nubuck may be color-treated to hide these too.
You will find nubuck used in a variety of applications. Nubuck furniture is highly desirable, but will come at a much more expensive price than furniture made from lower grade types of leather. Nubuck shoes and purses are popular, as is nubuck clothing. Some companies prefer to use nubuck instead of suede so that a product will last longer. For example, the Birkenstock® classic sandal is made from nubuck instead of suede. The company chose this particular leather because it is so much stronger than suede and will wear well with time.
Naturally, all nubuck is subject to significant staining and requires proper care even when it is stain treated. Unlike flat leather, you can’t use shoe polish on nubuck because of its nap. Instead, many leather manufacturers suggest one way to keep nubuck from getting permanent stains is to use a brush on the leather regularly to remove any small dust particles. If you have furniture made of nubuck, you should additionally vacuum the furniture about once a week to remove dust.
If you do spill liquids on nubuck it’s really important to use cotton cloths to try to soak up as much of the spill as possible. You can buy special leather cleaners that are approved for nubuck that can help remove oily stains. Most cleaners suggest not allowing the stain to dry since it is much harder to remove a stain on nubuck after it has fully dried. Generally the older the stain, the more difficult it is to remove.
[From www.wisegeek.com]
It’s easy to get confused about whether a leather item is nubuck or suede since both look and feel similar. Both types of leather are sanded to produce the velvet soft feel that is so desirable. The main difference is that nubuck is sanded on the outer surface of the leather, essentially the part that would have been the exterior skin of the animal, while suede is sanded on the inner layer of the skin.
Since the outside layer of a skin is much tougher, nubuck lasts much longer and responds very well to this sanding process. It does show imperfections in the exterior layer of the skin much more easily, and is often treated with dyes, sometimes simply clear ones, to disguise any significant flaws. The sanding process can create further imperfections when not done correctly, so nubuck may be color-treated to hide these too.
You will find nubuck used in a variety of applications. Nubuck furniture is highly desirable, but will come at a much more expensive price than furniture made from lower grade types of leather. Nubuck shoes and purses are popular, as is nubuck clothing. Some companies prefer to use nubuck instead of suede so that a product will last longer. For example, the Birkenstock® classic sandal is made from nubuck instead of suede. The company chose this particular leather because it is so much stronger than suede and will wear well with time.
Naturally, all nubuck is subject to significant staining and requires proper care even when it is stain treated. Unlike flat leather, you can’t use shoe polish on nubuck because of its nap. Instead, many leather manufacturers suggest one way to keep nubuck from getting permanent stains is to use a brush on the leather regularly to remove any small dust particles. If you have furniture made of nubuck, you should additionally vacuum the furniture about once a week to remove dust.
If you do spill liquids on nubuck it’s really important to use cotton cloths to try to soak up as much of the spill as possible. You can buy special leather cleaners that are approved for nubuck that can help remove oily stains. Most cleaners suggest not allowing the stain to dry since it is much harder to remove a stain on nubuck after it has fully dried. Generally the older the stain, the more difficult it is to remove.
[From www.wisegeek.com]
ECCO Men's Lounge Moc Slip-on
Vein Wear shares with Brazil
"I had a great conversation with Brandon about the challenges and opportunities in the footwear industry. This kind of knowledge sharing and co-operation is terrific and beneficial for all involved." Chris McCallum
Dear Chris:
Thank you for speaking with us last night and I'm sorry about the connection through Skype. The interview was extremely useful for us and your business model is something we would very much like to move some of our companies towards. We look forward to remaining in touch in the future. Also, we just wanted to say that we think your shoes are very good looking and we're looking into buying a pair!
Best,
Brandon Thompson
_____________________________________
// Competitiveness
Brazil: +55 11 6405 0054
Brazil: +55 11 6405 0054
Brazil reaches out to Vein Wear
January 14, 2010
Dear Mr. Christopher McCallum:
The entity SEBRAE-SP (the operational arm of the São Paulo State government for industrial development – www.sebraesp.com.br) in partnership with the São Paulo State development office (www.desenvolvimento.sp.gov.br), FIESP (São Paulo’s Industry Association - www.fiesp.com.br), the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank – www.iadb.org) and the consulting company Competitiveness (www.competitiveness.com) have launched a project to promote the development of the footwear sector of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. You can find more information regarding any one of the current projects at:
· www.novospassos.com - Children’s Shoes / Birigui
· www.inovajau.com - Women’s Shoes / Jaú
· www.francacompetitiva.com - Men’s Shoes / Franca
Currently, we are strategically analyzing the footwear business globally from conception to final distribution not only within Brazil, but also within all relevant countries. It is extremely important for us to understand the tendencies of the market in order to determine the challenges facing our companies in the future.
After much analysis of current trends, we identified Vein Wear as a leading benchmark in the global market and we would like to discuss your vision of the industry based upon your wealth of experience. We are impressed with the logistical management of Vein's global distribution along with your high standards of craftsmanship and innovation in footwear. We would also like to discuss possible collaborations between our companies.
We would like to organize a meeting with yourself in order to have a short conversation. We will contact you shortly to set up the meeting, but please do not hesitate to contact us beforehand to let us know the best time to call or to suggest a more specific contact within the company more suitable to discuss with us the aforementioned topics.
Aside from the website mentioned above, I am attaching a short PDF document with background information on our project for your information.
Thank you in advance for your time and support.
Kind regards,
Brandon Thompson
_____________________________________
// Competitiveness
Brazil: +55 11 6405 0054
Email: brandon.thompson@competitiveness.com
Website: www.competitiveness.com
Brazil: +55 11 6405 0054
Email: brandon.thompson@competitiveness.com
Website: www.competitiveness.com
ECCO Men's Lounge Moc Canoe Loafer
This Ecco Mens Shoes is- leather
- Latex sole
- Cemented, one-component latex outsole
- Flexible outsole provides exceptional comfort and durability
- Leather lining
- PU/leather, anatomically-shaped removable insole
Design Comp Voting Booths Are Open! Vote Now and Tell Your Friends.
The Vein Wear Men's Shoe Design Competition is now open for voting!
You can vote now at http://veincomp.blogspot.com. Voting closes after January 26.
The designs entered were of exceptional quality and creativity. Designers from 11 countries around the world entered, including:
1. Taiwan
2. Australia
3. Puerto Rico
4. Singapore
5. Hungary
6. England
7. Philippines
8. USA
9. Finland
10. Spain
11. Turkey
Well done to everyone.
You can vote now at http://veincomp.blogspot.com. Voting closes after January 26.
The designs entered were of exceptional quality and creativity. Designers from 11 countries around the world entered, including:
1. Taiwan
2. Australia
3. Puerto Rico
4. Singapore
5. Hungary
6. England
7. Philippines
8. USA
9. Finland
10. Spain
11. Turkey
Well done to everyone.
Entry 38: Man Shoe by Tzu-Pin Chang (Taiwan)
"The 'MAN SHOE' design was inspired by the hole of oxford shoe. I want the shoe can match for formal wear and casual wear. I n this competition I choose simple style to design the shape of shoe. So I use simple line and hole to present it. In generally, most of the man likes to keep things simple. The elastic material design wear will suit to most of the man.
In the material of shoe, I using Crazy house pull pu leather for brown color and Micro Suede leather for dark brown in the upper vamp. With using pig leather in sock and lining. In addition, I am using the orange color in the back stitch and heel. That can let shoe seem very exciting. Therefore, the upper color will suit to most of dressing, and the shape is good for any occasion. In short, it is suitable for anytime."
Entry 37: Sophisticate Boot by Carley Strain (Australia)
"The Sophisticate boot I have designed uses the V2B Ankle Boot template. I deSigned this
shoe with the corporate male in mind. I envisage this shoe to be worn by the trouser and tie
male who likes to take a little bit more risk with his fashion without drawing too much attention
of the untrained eye. I see the wearer wanting to express himself fashion wise through his
shoes, whilst still needing to fit within the realms of the corporate "uniform".
The upper will be entirely black leather, all of the same shade and grain. It will feature a
slightly tapered highlighted toe box with stitching detail. On either side of the ankle, an angled
zipper will feature to allow easy access into and out of the shoe whilst added another point of
interest. The heel cup will also be highlighted with punched dotted border. This same border
will also feature on a tapered triangular shaped piece of leather that begins at the toe crease
and extends whilst tapering , up to the front of the ankle.
The sole of the shoe will be leather, dark brown on the plantar surface only, with black on the
sides. At the tip of the toe and the anterior edge of the heel post the same punched dotted
border effect will feature.
The lining of the shoe will be dark brown leather, as will the insole. This colour choice will add
to removing this shoe from the "uniform" black dress shoe, whilst not pushing the boundaries
too far."
Entry 36: Step-Cut Loafer by Karla Lopez-Rivera (Puerto Rico)
Entry 35: Mark Loafer by Karla Lopez-Rivera (Puerto Rico)
"Mark grew up with a strict dad, one who never lost his temper although he went to war, one who had perfect table manners, who opened doors and respected women, one who enjoyed everything the traditional way. Although, of course, Mark found this incredibly irritating when growing up, he realized later in life that, although completely opposite than his dad, he did have a fondness of the classical and of how things used to be. Now all grown up, Mark, looks for tradition in objects around him but at the same time looks for the innovation within it.
Mark is inspired by the classic styles that bring him nostalgia, in this case, fringe penny loafers. But Mark styles the components of the classic in an innovative way. Smooth, sleek vamp with the fringe as part of the quarter area. The back is a hybrid of a sling back because its open where the fringe is located at the backsides but at the same time a back- strap doesn’t allow for making it completely open in the back. Mark revives the classic in a completely refreshing way."
Entry 34: Combat Boot by Bianca Maverick (Australia)
"This multi-laced combat boot has been designed with Trompe-l'œil (trick of the eye) in mind. The vamp of the shoe has been designed with a tough clear plastic material in mind, leaving the wearer's sock or foot exposed yet encased, playing on the idea of a tough shoe exposing a fragile foot. The elephant leather swatch and gunmetal findings were chosen as the colours is not to heavy looking. The shoe features intricate details, such as the layering of lacing sections and ski hook findings. This shoe has been designed to be worn with a thick cable knitted sock in a complementary colour for winter or with bare feet. These boots are perfect for a rainy winter day."
Entry 33: 3-Way Loafer by Gabrielle Hale (Singapore)
"When I am shopping for shoes, I am always looking out for fun yet practical styles that are easy to match with my outfits. Therefore my design is based on edgy and versatility. I wanted to create a style that is professional enough for the office and fun enough for the cocktail hours after work. Hence, my design revolves around 3 factors:
(1) smart casual
(2) practical
(3) fun
To achieve this I chose template 1 because the cut of the shoe is a little more casual. It will be a patchwork style using 3 different materials to create the design:
(A) brown soft leather
(B) brown textured leather
(C) pony hair overlay on leather
Reason for using leather is to make the style smarter for work and also for the durability of the material nature. (Please refer to the attachment to see what the materials look like and the labeling on sketch to see where each material goes on the shoe.) I used different materials to make it more fun but used the same colour of different shades to maintain the professional and practical factors. As mentioned, the material will all be of different variation of brown and the different texture will enhance the patchwork design. I also cut the sides of the shoes lower than the usual cut in men’s shoes to add an edgy twist to it."
Entry 32: Vagrant Shoe by Chih-Chieh Yu (Taiwan)
"VAGRANT (Derby for V3)
I design this shoe to describe my feeling when I traveling alone. The idea is to have two faces for the shoe. Outside is like a jacket, it protects me from wind and rain. It might be looked dirty and wrinkled on outside, but inside is still pure and with passion.
Top four eyelets are hidden under overlay to hint there is something behind surface. In front toe there are three obvious wrinkles which made in propose. These three wrinkles continue lines of lace as a decoration for the shoe."
Entry 31: Banana Boot by Chih-Chieh Yu (Taiwan)
"As the name told you. This design was inspired when eating a banana. The upper is very simple and clean but decorated by various zippers on the shaft. These two-heads zippers are also functional to make the shoe may transform to different looking.
For example: the original boot is elegant and aggressive, you can open the zip and turn over the shaft to make it unruly as transformation 1.Or to open zippers as transformation 2, to show colors inside (may be by your sock?) and brings a little fun."
Entry 29: Niloticus Boot by Kimberly Lim (Australia)
"Design Explanation - Collection 8346 : Niloticus and Serpentes
As a collection, the designs share the same ideas and concepts. I have combined the explanations for both.
Collection 8346 consists of two designs, Niloticus and Serpentes. It plays with ideas of over embellishing
combined with simple forms and design lines. The aim was to create designs that looked busy while having
basic structure. Multiple fastening straps are used to create a disorderly representation, whereas minimal
curved panels balance out the erratic appearance.
The same concept was used when deciding what leathers and materials should be utilised. The designs
needed this same consistency of simplicity and complexity by using a mixture of reptilian materials and
standard full grain leather. Snake and crocodile leathers were visualised in the designs, but realising the
expense of these materials in genuine form would be a problem, the polyurethane outcome was chosen.
The scale patterning in both materials contrast effectively with the even surface of the cow leather. The
tongues on both designs have been divided in an attempt to maintain a balance of all the materials used.
Patent leather is added to the Niloticus design, providing the extra detail to compensate for the smaller,
more intricate snake patterning on Serpentes. By fusing textured and smooth materials in singular straps,
symmetry is attained throughout the designs.
The derby construction was used for the collection with the concept of creating a formal shoe with casual
properties. The quarters have been elongated to generate a more sporty appearance; however selecting a
shoe last with a pointed toe retains a conventional shape. Cotton shoe laces replace leather laces to appear
less conservative, but also to add more focus to the detailed strapping.
Multiple metal keepers and matching grey contrast stitching make the designs appear further embellished.
Although serving this purpose, it emphasises on the outline of the various panel pieces, revealing the
simplicity of the design lines. To maintain a more affordable outcome, rubber soles were used for both
designs.
For the man who chooses to wear predominately plain, monotone ensembles, the shoes are designed as
such that it offers some form of interest to the overall outfit. It can alternatively be worn by those who are
more adventurous, providing a complimentary element to their distinctive styling."
Entry 28: HMD-V5 by Mate Denes Hamori (Hungary)
"My design was inspired simply by the form and the shape of the V5 template.
The graphic elements, the seams, and the details make nice harmony
with the overall form and give an elegant and clean look to the shoe.
The choice of the colors and materials suit to the Vein Wear quality standards
and result a modern and contemporary footwear.
The embossed Vein-logo is a modern and light industrial touch.
Features:
Full leather upper.
The full leather lining is neutral and non-allergenic.
Strap for easy on/off and buckle for secure fit.
Durable rubber outsole.
Vein-logo is embossed into the inside of the upper."
Entry 27: HMD-V4B by Mate Denes Hamori (Hungary)
"My design was inspired simply by the form and the shape of the V4B template.
The graphic elements, the seams, and the details make nice harmony
with the overall form and give an elegant and clean look to the boot.
The choice of the colors and materials suit to the Vein Wear quality standards
and result a modern and contemporary footwear.
The embossed Vein-logo is a modern and light industrial touch.
Features:
Full leather upper.
The full leather lining is neutral and non-allergenic.
Elastic gore side panels for easy on/off and buckle for secure fit.
Durable rubber outsole.
Vein-logo is embossed into the strap."
Entry 26: Suito La Pearl by Sebastian Khut (Australia)
"The name 'Suito La Pearl' is created within the design of the shoe, thus being a business suit. 'Suito', derived from the idea of a suit and 'La Pearl' after the black pearl finish of the leather.
'Suito La Pearl' is an elegant black shoe which has been designed like a suit but worn on your feet. It is broken up into 4 different elements: the suit itself; the tie; the cufflinks; and the shirt. The idea of the design was inspired from a recent trip to Japan seeing businessmen walk through the subway day in and day out. Having observed what seems to be a country of high fashion culture I though to myself. 'why not creat a shoe that looks like a suit?'
The style of the shoe is a high-top boot, laid out with black fine gloss leather. Inside the sole lays black, mat leather fabric that extends up and out and folds like a collared business shirt. The tongue of the shoe is a tie that is connected under the collar and is held with a clip, which is designed to be cufflinks, squared and finished with diamonds to give it that elegant sparkling appearance."
Entry 25: B&W Love by Sebastian Khut (Australia)
"B&W Love was created from an image that I had visualised and was inspired by an unforgettable era, the 1950's, giving it a classy look but casual feel to suit the modern society of the 20th century.
The design of the shoe was created with two basic colours, black and white, hence the name 'B&W Love' (Black & White Love). The base of the shoe is a black rubber, heeled sole, with white leather fabric at the front and back of the shoe to give it that 50's style look. The main focus of the shoe starts in the middle with black and white cross-weaved patterns wrapping around the shoe, giving it the modern day appearance. Although it is a very basic design it sure is one to bring back memories for some."
Entry 24: Zipped Oxford Shoe by Spiro Manolopoulos (Australia)
Entry 23: Apron Loafer by Jonny Moyler (England)
"The shoe's design was one design from a range I created based upon the Islamic poem ‘The conference of the birds.’
I wanted to create a shoe that had an aesthetic that was reminiscent of Vein footwear design but in my own way. I wanted to sear away from a pitfall I can always fall into by only sticking to a all black design, which I normally use because I like to play with the construction and pattern pieces leaving the rest of the design simple to focus on the pattern lines.
The apron on the vamp of the shoe is inspired by a bird’s beak, narrowing to a point to the tow of the shoe as to bring the viewers eye down the shoe to create a lengthened feel to shoe but not make the cumbersome to a city wearer."
Entry 22: Gerbot Sneaker by Gilbert Oficiar (Philippines)
Entry 21: V2B Boot by Payton Thomas (USA)
"The V2B boot was inspired by the natural flow of water taking it’s own paths to only
create new water ways. The V2B boot is made from dark leather for comfort while
giving the boot a unique look. On top there are sections that have a mesh material
for comfort, easy access to take off and on, also the mesh allows the foot to breathe.
The sole of the boot is made from a thick piece of tough hide to continue the theme
and language of the leather on the boot."
Entry 20: Leaf Strap Derby by Khoi Le (USA)
Entry 19: Bossa Boot by Jenna Lievenon (Finland)
"Bossa is a man who wants to live in his own way. Mellow, outgoing but still a bit mysterious. Dance moves he gets from Travolta, yet adding his own twist in it.
Bossa is similar to his friend Gustavo, both looking smart. Bossa with its mellow attitude can attract many young city folks. Colors in this design are black and dark violet.
The twist in Bossa is that it first looks like there are shoelaces in it. When you look closer, you find out that the ”laces” are going to a wrong way. And the inside part does not include even the eyelets. Bossa´s idea is that everything is not what it first seems to look like."
Entry 18: Gustavo Shoe by Jenna Lievenon (Finland)
"Gustavo is an old fashioned, intellectual man with a young mind. He is cool as ice and gets better over the years like a fine wine. He likes to play chess and listen The Smiths. All the pretty girls are in love with him.
Gustavo is a bit more stylish than his friend Felix. It is more festive but can be used every day with jeans. With Gustavo it is easy to stand out from the crowd!
Upper part is technically pretty simple. The twist is in the ”collar”. It gives the feeling that the shoes owner is not a kid anymore, instead his a man. Man with personal and strong attitude. Colors would be black and electric blue."
Entry 17: Felix Shoe by Jenna Lievonen (Finland)
"Felix is a casual and really laid-back guy. He is a friend of everybody. Always going some where and still never feeling stressed.
Felix is a good everyday shoe. It is more stylish than sneakers, but yet not looking like a business shoes. Felix is easy to combine with different looks.
Shoes upper materials would be brown nappa and suede. Elastic band around the top line gives a nice stretchy feeling when putting the shoe on. Red stitching will give a nice edged contrast for this otherwise classic model."
Entry 16: Open-Toe Amazon Boot by Khoi Le (USA)
Entry 15: Gerbot Sidewinder Shoe by Gilbert Oficiar (Philippines)
"In my own analysis, the mind of present fashion market is opting for more stylish materials whether in footwear, accessories, or apparel. The next thing they consider is the comfort and thirdly the price. Consumers buy materials if the design can satisfy the price.
As a practicing fashion designer, I don’t own a pair of stylish shoes that can consider formal and casual at the same time. For this reason I designed an entry that will fit to my taste as a fashion designer, which I believe has strong market values.
Creating a stylish shoe that can be considered formal at one point and casual at another point possessing that distinct strong masculine appeal is my main objective. Using this template with the classic upper shape, outsole, and pointed shoe cap satisfy the objective. This template features strong and elegant shape for a formal/casual shoe. As I compared male being to the snakes, using this template with pointed shoe cap resembles the snake’s snout. Putting braids appliques side by side as if creating a contour to resemble reptilian face give this shoe stylish strong masculine look. The design of this shoe aimed to embody the male strong physique, focused attitude, and mysterious mind. Using the strength character of braid as detail gives the shoe strong sense of style. Assembling these braids in straight directions pointing to the four main points resembles the focused attitude of men. There are points where braids seems to be connected with each other as well as some cutout details that pointing in a direction to meet at one definite point represents the mysterious side of male being. Making these details meet at a certain point give unity in elements of style, thus justifying that focused attitude of men.
Because of the details and designs, this shoe uses full black patent or vein leather only to create that flexible, strong, mysterious, formal masculine color. The black stitching details must be visible enough to give a tailored masculine detail. This shoe also uses black elastic gussets to resemble male flexible side.
'Sidewinder is other term for snakes capable of sidewinding, is a modified form of lateral undulation in which all of the body segments oriented in one direction remain in contact with the ground, while the other segments are lifted up, resulting in a peculiar 'rolling' motion. This mode of locomotion overcomes the slippery nature of sand or mud by pushing off with only static portions on the body, thereby minimizing slipping. The static nature of the contact points can be shown from the tracks of a sidewinding snake, which show each belly scale imprint, without any smearing. This mode of locomotion has very low caloric cost, less than ⅓ of the cost for a lizard or snake to move the same distance.'"
Entry 14: Floral Brogue Shoe by Erin Lean (Australia)
Entry 13: Geo Shoe by Erin Lean (Australia)
Entry 12: Tangled Buckles Boot by Khoi Le (USA)
Entry 11: Grandiose Shoe by Andrew James (USA)
"The Grandiose was inspired by World War II army uniforms. The chisel-toe loafer features a belt with a chrome buckle to tighten and loosen the shoe. It is wrapped in black leather with a dark grey suede band around the base. It also features a black rubber sole and purple lining that adds a splash of color."
Entry 10: Westerly Boot by Andrew James (USA)
"The Westerly is inspired by the flow and movement of the clouds. The low profile ankle boot is wrapped in warm grey Nubuck leather with lighter grey leather flowing around it. It features an elastic gusset for entry and a black rubber sole."
Sydney designer answers Imelda's call for local entrants
"The inspiration of AEK - ONE design comes from muscle, bone and vein lines in the Human Foot. I am always fascinated by the human body, it's such a perfect design. Every single detail is not more or less than what is needed. But if I had a chance to redesign it myself? This idea excites me.
I played with the idea of replacing Human Foot with a Shoe, not just as an accessory, but as our own foot. "Bionic Foot" is the theme of my design. I aimed for a design that would flow and fit like our own skin with a classic look and a touch of edgy futurism.
My choice of materials are :
Grained Leather, Suede and Foot Skeleton Motifs represent Natural Elements
Patent Leather and Silver Foil represent Artificial Elements
Lace up represents Classic Old School Style
Turquoise lining, just my favorite color
I find it very difficult to get good Men Shoes in the market. They are all pretty much the same and if you want to be different, "bespoke" is not a choice either because it's unaffordable. Therefore I admire what Vein has offering, unique and realistic."
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