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The British literature very bad did not know where round of chart I whose JODAN design's shoe is only designs the amateur to ask everybody very much to direct
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and Justin I really agree with your comment as well, that´s how it should be! Ha that makes me happy again!
cheers
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wow, we have some crazy concersation going on!
Pietro-
I fell you on your comments about the present and future of footwear design!
I really think that a new direction is needed, a greener one was well! But as I am aproaching a footwear design career, at least that is my goal, I truely believe that changing these points about the wall and all that stuff you wrote is our job and hell it´s fun!
I love it, for me there is nothing better!
Looking forward to the new website and the new contest, hope to find some time, but I am doing footwear at my studies anyway:-)
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Guys, I'm unfamiliar with how to know when deadlines are for each Artist Series contests. Am I missing something? Anything would help, and I'm hoping to start submitting more designs but school's keeping me busy.
Thanks for any help,
Justin
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seems like I'll be there again next year,.. and drinking and gently arguing happen to be two of my favorite activities!! So count me in.
We should start a thread by then maybe to plan it a bit.. here, or on core77 maybe..
PEP
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Hello Jeremiah
you are welcome....
Pep sorry for p,,, u off even if it is positive.
back to the debate we had, it would be nice to meet (the ones located in Europe and the ones who can visit munich at that time) at ispo winter and why not keep on talking or gently arguing about our shared passion with drink, round a dinner table?
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Yah thanks Bruno,I would be working on that,its true my footwear is much complicated than the gina,well I would do the corrections and then upload for you to see.Thanks so much.
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would have to be very lightweight, socklike, plenty of small spikes, maybe a bit more on the lateral side on the right feet and medial on the left feet for all those bends(I am imagining these greyhounds to be in a race now, please specify if they are in another activity).. at the same time there's a concept bubbling of a 3D laser projection of a running rabbit.. but that would be easier to integrate in some kind of dog-goggles, or a collarband or something.. Have to log on to the CanineGuide Artist Series for that..
I'm not on the alphaproject path.. am not in that league. if i want to work somewhere I send them a message and beg them, oldskool.. I'm guessing that i don't have to bother contacting adi?.. ;) Again, participating here is pure enjoyment, this is not my portfolio.
Thx for being disruptive bruno, you ignited a rather quiet month and a slow chat-board. PLus you pissed me off enough (in a positive way) to make me work even harder on my shoes, my boss will send you a thank you note too soon :)
To defend my Sharkator a bit: I did consider the stud configuration during the 2 minute sketch phase.. I wanted the studs to be more or less in the 'normal' positions and let the transparent TPU come up around the sides to create the shark-mouth look..
In the rendering of the sideview I didn't really finish that though.. cause it looked cool after the 1st coloring, and i didn't touch it again.. that must've been the style-devil on my right shoulder that screamed louder than the Bruno-angel on my left.. :)
PEP
.:edited by Pietro to show picture:.
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So, I think, even professional designers have the need to escape from those walls and play with the design and have fun.
The second thing is that, just looking at past contests, I can say that many people are putting eyes on this site and we've found a few of our designs really manufactured in china without our permission. So I think that avoiding to be too precise in designing technical details or making some futuristic technology (not feasible at the moment) is somehow necessary not to give too much help to those that are not acting professionally.
Last thing I want to add is that I think that to have a real change in the design of the shoe it's necessary to start to think new ways to make them. Economy needs that, planet needs that, designers need that too ;)
Big ciaooo
Pietro
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First of all congrats to Pep!
Your design is very nice and you deserved this win.
Then I have to say that the debate is very interesting too!
Bruno, if you don't know, the winner of the monthly contest is not decided by the site Admin (as you seem to think in one of your ealy posts) but from site members votes. So every time the reason that decides the winner is different.
Being a veteran of this contest I can say that the winner, probably, is the one that emotionally best catches voters imagination...and it can be done through great proportions and rendering or great functional ideas or sometimes good story behind the design, or obviously from the best mix of the above... it's usually very hard to make previsions about which aspect of the design will make it THE winner.
That said, I want to add that current footwear style trends are very frustrating for designers...in my local footlocker just 10% of shoes are new models...90% are retros or nowadays-80's-styled-designs.
That means that design job is now entraped into concrete walls. I'm sure thousands new design are done yearly but I think just a little, very little, part of them really gets into production.
>continue<
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Bruno, I know you didn't say "production ready," I just wanted to make the point that some of the concerns with Pep's design that you had would be addressed if the shoe were to be taken further. I have seen many sketches, from some of the best designers in the world, and there are many that start off as a concept that could never be made the way they are. The Nike Innovation Kitchen has samples on top of samples that don't work and seem to make no sense, but they were necessary because they inspired a product that did work, and did make sense.
I do get your point, though, and I understand what you are saying about designing with the actual human movement and sport in mind, but those "blue sky" projects lead to good things.
And Jason, while very well respected, is not the only one on this sight to be hired by a company. many here have gained the respect, and a job, of the big companies.
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Hello All
I like this debate too... and believe me I am not stressed at all.
to Justin
Who talked about a production ready??? read back my posts, I didn't.
don't you think it is richer to push forward an idea while integrating the basic restrictions of a sport or a human movement?
or to the admin, why dont you create a theme like: shoes for greyhouds???
To Tony, being credible doesnt depend on how much you are paid. But I buy totaly your words about
Thinking out of the box being necessary.
whether you educate or not your peers, you are facing competition everybreath you take. I am pleased to see how strong or inventive are the newcomers, they are like a wake up call,
-either you improve either you are replaced.
for info i am doing this job with a social anthropology Master degree background (no design academy at all). Yes it is possible....
From an Older generation for sure, I sweat days and night to tranform my passion into profession.
still today....
I clarify my early points to Pep. I never asked tech packs or realistic submission why should I, I commented on somebody who has enough experience in this field to think out of the box while delivering something true to the sport.
being credible means, being like Jason (alpha) who create enough interest to be hired by a company.
my wish for all of passionate footwear designers looking for a job
a good day all
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I, too, have to lean a little more toward Pep's side in this discussion. Believe me, I understand what it means to make a shoe that is production ready versus conceptual. I also know what happens to an amazing design with great concepts when it is time to make it real, and what happens when costing gets ahold of it. With that said, I always looked at KG as an idea sharing community. I always thought it was more about showing your unique way of thinking outside the box. We can see if someone is a good designer or not, even if their shoe isn't production ready. None of the shoes here have to be made anytime soon, so I would encourage this group of designers to let the ideas flow freely. I remember when I was drawing shoes in high school and college with no worries about it being made, and how "free" my thinking was. Now, I miss that sometimes because I know that what I am creating now will eventually have to face reality. Don't get me wrong, I am still doing my best to push things forward, but we get to a point on some shoes where we have to agree that certain things aren't going to work on that shoe, or we simply can't make it.
So I say cherish this opportunity to be as creative as you want, because one day you may not be able to. It is ultimately up to the entrants here how far they want to take their designs, and as it was stated earlier, I think a lot of us here look for both creativity and function when critiquing. I think we have a pretty good balance going on.
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Good conversation here. Bruno, I agree with Pep and Tony that you should relax a little.
I love to see unbridled imagination and creativity in shoe designs. And this is the place to do it.
However, I think there's a good opportunity to criticize and teach in situations where a designer takes very imaginative ideas and applies them directly to a shoe with little or no effort put toward editing or evolving the idea to make it actually work.
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Again, both sides of this coin could be vigorously defended. But I would have to side with Pep more here with respect to KG. The only time you are obligated to be credible is when you are being paid to be or there is a liability to the actual product affecting the user. This is not the case on this site. There is room for conceptual and artistic expression without the box here. It is not an obligation or duty for ANY of us (regardless of age or experience) to teach or lead the way here. But rather a privilege to those learning when it is offered. For free, people can take it or leave it. Obviously we are happy to help and provide info (that you could argue we shouldn't be, considering we are educating our peers to compete with us for jobs) when we can. Almost everything I have learned was passed on to me in this manner, so I feel it is my duty to pay it back. But this is a personal choice- not a requirement. To quote Sir Charles...well, you know the rest.
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Bruno.. man.., you're like the headmaster that's telling me to stop playing in the playground and get back in the classroom to do math excercises..
No I don't think we have the duty to be credible ALL the time.. I think that you have been in Germany too long dude, it is affecting your fun-sense.. :)
To me really, the few times that I am able to participate in these competitions, it is all about having fun..(calling it pointless or gratis hurts a bit but I see your point..) The footwearmarket-changing inventions I save for work, it'd be even quite foolish to post them here for the world to (ab)use..
And hopefully they WILL inspire somebody somehow to try to get better, like so many designs on the site often refreshen my ideas about shapes, concepts or stories. And if not.. at least I had some fun..:) Some people go to movies or play videogames... I draw shoes..
I totally share your opinion about the future of footwear. And you do hit a sensitive spot when you say that I don't elevate other KG-ers knowledge..having fun is cool but pretty egocentric too.. I have a lot of respect for the moderators, Ryan, Tony, Pietro, Justin (i am forgetting one i think).. that have coached and taught so much to the KG-artist-clan the past years.. Putting in some of their valuable time..
And btw I'm old but not that old.. certainly not 10 years in yet.. maybe if you count all the years in highschool drawing shoes in my notebooks all the time.. Plus I still feel that I've only just begun, the best has yet to come ( but I'll probably say still feel like that in 10 years.. your next creaton is always the best one isn't it..?)
PEP
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Bruno and Pep. Excellent points.
A lot of times, style wins the most points. Form over function as you may call it. Why is this so? Primarily because the voters are visual. From a web page and a small description, you can only do so much with function. Unless you can make the voters feel your ability to do alot of the things you actually do in real life, it is really an uphill battle.
That said, I believe most voters do care about function as well. The important thing here is your ability to sell your overall presentation. Also, keep in mind most designers here have only 1 month or less to come up with a theme during their free time. Therefore, it is quite different from designing on the job as in your field.
Finally, to answer your question Bruno. Artist Series contest should be back in Jan 2009. Check back in December on the theme.
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Hello Pep
These are Fair comments but i would expect them from beginners, or people looking for a work placement, fresh out of school.... I believe you are almost 10 years in the business right?? as I am.
Then don't you think with our experience, we have the duty to be credible?? I still believe footwear has a long way to go with new systems, stories etc.
And if half of them are marketing tricks, then lets be more inventive, purposeful. believe me ONE Invention pays more than a 1000 pointless renderings.
I do think an experienced designer can avoid the "gratis" exercise (styling for the sake of style) but elevate somebody else knowledge and keep on dreaming.
I concede, style is crucial, but in our field it will remains the cherry on the cake.
Unfortunately with my position I can't post anything here that is more than words.
a good day all.
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Those were the two best posts of the year.
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Yes, and do shox or those plastic bounce soles really cushion so much better than a plain old EVA midsole? Did our feet really really needed to be pumped climacooled aired and torsioned? Style is somewhat important in those too isn't it?
I see the Artist Series as some kind of footwear playground where sometimes style can win over functionality, dreams can beat style and functionality can win over dreams sometimes. It's like paper-scissors-rock.. you never know who is gonna win, and everybody can play..
More importantly I believe strongly that the lack of strict guidelines in this place makes it so great.. not every design (or style-exercise if it doesn't qualify as a design..) will be production ready or be completely thought-out.. but any of them deserves to win.. for the effort, the art, the passion that is inside them.
I do agree with most of your comments Bruno, no problem with that (yes, the sharkator does need some modifications to make it useable on a football pitch).. Just wanted to try to put it in another perspective..
If you want a functional design that is possible too, i would have to charge you though :)
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Hello all hello Pepjin hello jeremiah
I am not writing very often and I migh sound a bit disruptive,
to the admins: Apart the great rendering I don't really understand why the shark football shoe won this contest, whats the goal of this shoe? the function, the benefit, the plus or the difference it brings to the player, what about the security, the friction to the foot with the teeth (stereotype when we speak about football) the danger of such studs for the opponent....are we speaking style only or are we speaking design??? if so then frederic Roy should be the winner. or Andrew.
if it is all about style then, don't consider whats above.
to jeremiah, yes the Gina is a a fresh and clean approach in the automotive area. I believe the majority of us are sensible to this complex simplicity, I mean one shield with several shapes.
the opposite of the concept you sent. your shoe is made of 28 different pieces ,9 different colors ,overlays, different shapes etc...
its way too much, consider the car again, ONE surface material, one surface interior material , four wheels a wind shield that's it. visually 3 different groups are perceived,exterior/interior/ wheels when your shoe has 14 geometric pieces.
Gina, has 3 colors silver black and savanah when eyes open you add the light blue and the red back light.
am I wrong??
comments are welcome.
a good day all
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I am new to kicks guide,I am a footwear designer and I want to know if theres a new competition I can participate in.The image I have uploaded is a footwear concept based on the BMW GINA.My porfolio could be found here:
www.coroflot.com/halfmanhalfamazing
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Congrats Pep!
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Thx guys. Congratulations to the other finalists too, the level is getting so high nowadays..! And thank you Admin for combining my new and old profile.. sorry for the mess..
I hope everybody will be back next year when the new themes will start again. Hopefully I'll have some time again then too, it's always so much fun to design these out-of-the-box things that would never pass at work..
PEP
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pep, your design is so crazy, I really like it man! the way to go!
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Congrats, Pepo! You rocked it!...where ARE the scores???
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Good work mr Matens!! watch out Pep is back!!
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Congrats Pep!
Where the score?
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Ventsislav- very cool sketch page,cant wait to see what you hit us with next year. shame you couldnt get this finished. great sketches.