As designers we are continually looking for inspiration to keep our design skills sharp. We can find inspiration in the strangest places. What better place to look for color inspiration than our own shoes? Think about it - if we pride ourselves on our ability to spot good design then this would carry out into our choice of footwear :) I hope you enjoy this post. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Niki Brown

Why do you like your shoes?

I thought I would talk about my shoes in a video!

Jacob Cass

Why you like your shoes?

Bape See Through Shoes… yes invisible shoes! You can change the colour of your shoe by changing your sock colour!

Daz Jones

Why you like your shoes?

Because they are SO comfy. They are really beaten up and should be thrown in the bin, but they just keep working their way back.

Liz Andrade

Why you like your shoes?

These are vintage Vans, circa 1984. I found them at a thrift shop in brand new condition about 3 years ago. It doesn’t seem it in this photo, but they make my feet look tiny, and the hot pink not only matches my brand, but they make me feel a little “grrly!” :)

Dani Ausen

Why you like your shoes?

I got these on sale at Target, of all places, but they are genuine Chuck Taylors. I’m pretty much obsessed with filigree or anything in the vein of it, so I love the artwork on it, and I especially love the fact that both shoes are different. Black and silver are probably the most prevalent colors in my wardrobe, so it works out well.

Calee Himes

Why you like your shoes?

I got them in high school at the height of my obsession with leopard print. When I wore them all sorts of cool things would happen to me. I quit wearing them when I was a senior in high school because I wore them to All State Choir auditions and didn’t make the choir…so I thought they were unlucky from then on.

I pulled them out of my closet in college at some point because I refused to wear Ugg boots and I didn’t have any appropriate winter shoes. My boyfriend caught sight of them and immediately hated them and reminded me of that every time I wore them. Now I wear them only out of spite. I haven’t busted them out this year yet though.

Steph Adamo

Why you like your shoes?

They’re like Chucks but different–and yes, Jack Purcells are Converse shoes. They’re the thick-soled, wider converse that only really cool people like me wear. :)

David Leininger

Why you like your shoes?

They stand out, they are fun to wear, and let’s be honest here, they are pretty darn awesome. That’s all I’ve got.

Jeff Fowler

Why you like your shoes?

I have some nice reissues of 70’s Adidas lime green spezial court shoes!

Renee Rist

Why you like your shoes?

Two of my loves in life are crazy shoes and soccer. Not only are these shoes crazy, but they were made after the Brazilian National Soccer Team! I only bust them out for the World Cup because they are limited editions!

Kelly Leaman

Why you like your shoes?

These are my favoritest shoes EVER! They’re sparkly and fun and not too casual and not too fancy… and did I mention they’re sparkly???

10 James Ewald

Why you like your shoes?

because they’re comfortable, colorful and pimp shit. these are the nike sb “old spice” edition. i like them because of the colors (red soles, white, blue, and gold swooshes) not to mention they’re fresh like old spice and myself. nike made the sb exclusively for skate shops. they’re bring in designers to create limited edition shoes.
pretty sweet.

11 Steve G. RDQLUS

Why you like your shoes?

I’ve been a sneakerhead since I was a kid, but usually collecting them—or even buying them—wasn’t possible. Now I cop custom sneaks and good looking kicks as the perfect outward show of my personality and how I roll. My personal style runs thru the sneakers first. I can be as professional as you want me to be, but what’s connecting me to the ground in telling the real story.

12 Leslie Beslie

Why you like your shoes?

I love these six year old roos because they are cheery and have the oh-so-useful zipper pocket as all roos do! They’re also extremely comfortable for a casual sneaker.

I remember running to a bus stop and saw the bus start to pull away. Thankfully the bus driver stopped and picked me up. As I swiped my card she said, “Don’t worry, I saw those shoes halfway down the block!”

The shoes came with two sets of laces, one white and one green. Being the libra that I am, I couldn’t decide which lace to use, so I just threaded both! (Inadvertently also displaying MSU school spirit.) After years of tons of walking (sidewalks and trails) these things definitely held up and I still currently wear them.

13 Holly Whitcomb

Why you like your shoes?

I meant to wear my green suede shoes today, and take a new picture, but I forgot. So here’s a not-so-recent picture of me in my shoes, which appear small and blurry. They usually look larger and clearer, unless you are looking at them through dense fog or have some sort of severe vision problem. They are green, white and yellow, with yellow or white laces, depending on my mood. They also have a fantastic gum sole, which prevents me from slipping on the many icy surfaces of Minnesota, and helps me make a fast getaway when I go streaking, as I am apparently about to do in this photo.

Rick Nunn

Why you like your shoes?

I have a bit of a thing for trainers, I have like 50 pairs!

I was a skateboarder for 10 years plus (recently had to quit due to injury). Skateboarding has a massive shoe following. Probably because you go through shoes so fast, maybe a pair every 2 months. I started buying a 2 pairs at a time. One pair to look fresh one to ruin skating… and my collection just grew from there.

Anyways I love being expressive with the trainers I wear, they are totally an extension of my personality.

PS if you interested the plaid ones (top) are Vox - Peter Hewitts and the blue ones are Vans - Dr T.

Steven Dow

Why you like your shoes?

Because the color scheme is well thought off and they are classic nike air, brings back childhood memories.

Eva Vesper

Why you like your shoes?

Because they remind me of being a snow bunny. and who doesn’t like poofs on their shoes!

Adelle Charles

Why you like your shoes?

My shoes are cool because they are plaid. I’m probably the only one at work that can get away with wearing them since everyone else wears suits (for the most part)! I bought them in Toronto for super cheap too which is always a plus. Plus I’m a shoe whore.

Von Glitschka

Why you like your shoes?

When it comes to shoes they have to be all white. Nothing bugs me more then getting them dirty too. I am kind of like “Monk” in that regard I suppose? I can’t buy shoes that don’t have a leather tongue either. Non-leather tongues get dirty faster than the rest of the shoe so that doesn’t please me either.

I probably go through shoes too fast, not because I wear them out, but rather I get them too dirty for my liking.

I live near the Nike HQ so I tend to support them with my shoes purchases. I never buy my shoes in a store now since discovering Zappos.com

I have happy feet.

James Deer

Why you like your shoes?

Because they have a look snake-skin like pattern on the tick and a load of subtle details! :)

Jacen Nicely

Why you like your shoes?

I love my shoes because they are comfortable and help inspire me when I am in creative mode. They help me feel relaxed whenever I am tense and they make coffee for me in the morning. . .ok maybe not that last part but they are pretty darned awesome.

Ray Hernandez

Why you like your shoes?

I bought them cause they were the same colors as my first start up, a social networking site I designed 5 years ago called Social Fly.

Marcuss Zilglavis

Why you like your shoes?

They are simple & ain’t no mainstream, they show confidence and a bit of creativity at once.

Josiah Jost

Why you like your shoes?

They really set a new trend! Enough with the weird Californians setting funky trends! Let a Canadian like myself make a statement to the graphic design world!

TJ Mapes

Why you like your shoes?

Honestly, I like the fact that they have brown and black on them, normally a fashion NO NO (at least so I thought).

I also love that when I needed new shoes, I took the train to Water Tower Place downtown Chicago and walked into a shoe store and to my amazement, this pair was the cheapest, and the sweetest ones. That just never happens! It was my lucky day.

Justin Cline

Why you like your shoes?

Well, they’re bright yellow and green for one thing, and soccer style… the image is a bit desaturated and doesn’t do the color justice, but they make me smile when I put them on.

Mark Poppen

Why you like your shoes?

They’re not shoes, they’re “clogs”, and actually slippers. They remind me of my home country: The Netherlands (and no, we don’t wear the wood version on a daily basis anymore). These are nice and fluffy, and it has the provincial flag on it :)

Chava Oropesa

Why you like your shoes?

I love them because they are bright, wild and love the shoelaces, also the sides are made of that plastic 3D material, oh and they are Pumas!!

Michael Surtees

Why you like your shoes?

They’re relaxed comfort at it’s best.

David Leininger

Why you like your shoes?

Hi-Tops, what’s not to like? They are plaid, which could possible be my favorite color in the world. They’re great for skateboarding. Plus no one else has them.

Irene Alvarez

Why you like your shoes?

They’re part Oxford, part Mary Jane. They’re heels. They’re metallic. They’re all kinds of snazz rolled into one fab little shoe.

Guy Armitage

Why you like your shoes?

I mean look at them! Why shouldn’t I like them!!!…besides they were a gift from someone AWESOME!

Mat Marquis

Why you like your shoes?

It is as if the future has made a phone call to today, and faxed these boots to me.

(Mat forgot to include that his boots dont have laces, but some sort of cranking snap and release thing instead! Boots of the future man!!!)

Kat Neville

Why you like your shoes?

They are boots, and they’re great for stompin!

Roby Fitzhenry

Why you like your shoes?

I love bright, vibrant Nikes that surprise people. It seems to let people know I have some sort of artist within.

Carrie Siegel

Why you like your shoes?

These are the best pair of shoes I’ve ever had…cute with skirts OR jeans, dressy enough to wear going out, but comfy like a pair of sneakers. Perfect! Besides, red is the new black, right?

Simon

Why you like your shoes?

I love my All Stars because they are classic and still have a very modern flavor with an old school twist. They are very comfortable and I can wear them to almost any occasion. Rock Star shoes for a Rock Star designer, right? The All Stars are All Time Classics.


Posted in color, design, industrial design