The problem...
Hip-hop and Zumba® dances are prominent activities, yet the footwear options are surprisingly scarce (especially for Zumba®). People experiment with everything from traditional dance shoes to cross trainers in an attempt to find the perfect shoe. The main problem, though, is that these dance forms are as much about comfort and mobility as they are about look and flair; very few shoes fulfill all of these the conditions.
The design...
The idea behind this school project was to develop a footwear design that could encompass the flavor and essence of these urban dance forms. Initial sketches gave way to an idea that combined a common trait in two differing activities: the act of wrapping of a boxer’s hands with the feminine feel of a ballerina wrapping her ballet slippers. Merging these two concepts created a common design language. The shoe is designed to convert from high top to low top. This function is inspired form existing fashion styles in dance.