Beginning with this blog I will be further researching about footwear by Lee Cooper which will help me in developing my initial ideas in terms of kids footwear collection for Belle Cherie, Cromwell as a part of my major project.
Retro Baseball Safety Ankle boots is from the collection of Lee Cooper work wear. According to Cooper (n.d) mentions that retro Baseball Ankle boots are a lightweight and a practical style of flexible ankle boot with also features modern safety features (Cooper, n.d). The reason why I am looking at this piece of work is because this footwear not only is lightweight and flexible but also has padded ankles which would work well if I develop my initial design with the same characteristics.
Moreover talking about features about this specific footwear, the thing which inspires me the most and I am more likely to cooperate in my initial idea is the padded ankle/ collar of this shoe. The reason why I am emphasizing over here is because padded ankle is something which many famous brand cooperate their design, which is more likely aimed to provide more comfort and cushioning in the footwear for the targeted market. In simple words, “padding to keep your foot comfortable from the moment you put your shoes on. There’s also collar foam, which provides cushioning to both your heel and ankle, and the collar lining, which encloses the seams in the back of your shoe while enhancing comfort.” (Nike, 2022). After doing some more visual researches I have decided to add this padded feature in my footwear design to provide comfort as this design will be focusing on Gen Alpha which are mainly the children aged between 6 to 8.
Secondly, the outsole and the material used in this specific footwear is something which inspires me to work passionately in my initial design. Over here the outsole is made up of Anti Slip rubber which reduces the risk of kid from slipping and getting injuries like broken bone. According to Union (2022), “One thing that remains consistent with rubber soles is their traction, durability, and flexibility. All these qualities make a rubber sole boot or shoe an excellent pick.” On the other hand, the material used in this footwear is very lightweight sustainable as it use breathable PU and nubuck leather. PU leather is referred as Polyurethane leather. “Polyurethanes are affordable and safe materials, and they are also sustainable. They preserve the Earth’s natural resources by reducing the need for energy.” (Plastics Europe, 2024). With this I got proficient knowledge on which material I can use for designing kids shoe collection for Belle Cherie.
Lastly the reason why I choose this Retro Baseball Ankle shoe as my inspiration is because the shape of this shoe is very plain and can be modified easily with initial design and better colour palette. Not only this footwear is light weight but also due to the flat low profile feature of the outsole, my target market for which I am will be designing footwear are more comfortable in low profile outsole. As this is a boot, low profile outsole is something I might try exploring and experimenting. However if not boots, and I decide working with trainer for this focused customers in further development of my design board, I will still consider the material I have researched about in this post, that is padded ankles, rubber sole , nubuck and PU leather.
Reference :
Cooper, L. (n.d.). LCSHOE022 SB/SRA BASEBALL BOOT - Lee Cooper Workwear. [online] www.leecooperworkweardirect.co.uk. Available at: https://www.leecooperworkweardirect.co.uk/lcshoe022-sb-sra-baseball-boot/ [Accessed 27 Apr 2024].
Nike (2022). Shoe Anatomy 101: What Are the Parts of a Shoe? [online] Nike.com. Available at: https://www.nike.com/a/parts-of-shoe-anatomy# [Accessed 27 Apr 2024].
Union, C. (2022). Leather sole vs Rubber sole shoes | Which one is better? [online] Cobbler Union. Available at: https://www.cobbler-union.com/blogs/journal/leather-vs-rubber-soles-which-one-is-better# [Accessed 27 Apr 2024].
Plastics Europe (2024). Polyurethane • Plastics Europe. [online] Plastics Europe. Available at: https://plasticseurope.org/plastics-explained/a-large-family/polyurethane/#:~:text=Polyurethanes%20are%20affordable%20and%20safe [Accessed 27 Apr 2024].
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