These research projects explore the ideas of ‘Grit & Grace’. A combination of tough design elements (which reveal methods of make) applied elegantly. Through ‘Grit & Grace’ we can bring Reebok’s tough fitness attitude into a more relevant athletic space - which is becoming more lifestyle focused.
The above project achieves surface depth through laser etching. Finding the right material with just the right amount of surface interest was necessary to achieve this affect. It was also important to source a 2 color synthetic material to allow a color reveal once the top surface was laser etched away.
On the above shoe I employed laser cutting to achieve surface depth. By actually laser cutting away areas of material to expose the surface underneath the synthetic. This approach gives you more color options as you have the subsurface, substrate of the main material, and the original material’s surface.
This final idea is an attempt to bring both methods of make together to tell a performance story. An ULTRA thin material would be laser cut to the correct shape and then be seamlessly attached to the mesh. This protective ‘skin’ would then be etched away in a functionally derived pattern.