On the fourth episode of Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge, designers were challenged to create a customize Dame 4 - the fourth signature shoe of NBA superstar Damian Lillard.
The designers also had to create one of a kind packaging and gift to be presented to Damian Lillard. There was also a social media campaign that was meant to have a charitable component and call to action.
Our shoe concept was called the “Thank You”, which is based on a song of the same name from Lillard’s debut album. The song and the sneakers were meant to be an ode to his mother and grandmother, the shoes were gifts to them in time for Mother’s Day. The designs in the midsole are reminiscent of Dame’s tattoos and represent all different aspects of his life. We also reinterpreted the code down the center of the tongue of his shoe.
13 - Promise he made to his mom in the car in the 8th grade at age 13
05.01-15 - graduation from Weber State
12 - Draft year when it all changed
11 - Month when grandma and mom were born
0 - what he wears and where he's from - Oakland/Ogden/Oregon
The sneaker design made for Lillard is in pre-production for adidas to be made a player exclusive (PE) as he wore the shoes and liked them so much that he tried them on and wore them around the studio. It was later knocked off by a company in China.
TEAM TRIFECTA:
Brand Designer: Megan Ann Wilson
Footwear Designer: Gabe Gonzalez
Color + Materials Designer: Laurance Bass
"Thank You" for Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers
On episode 2 of Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge, designers were challenged to turn a sneaker into a heel. The muses for the week were supermodel Ashley Graham and Grammy award winner Macklemore. Trifecta won this challenge.
TEAM TRIFECTA:
Brand Designer: Megan Ann Wilson
Footwear Designer: Gabe Gonzalez
Color + Materials Designer: Laurance Bass
"Perfect Imperfections" for Ashley Graham and Macklemore
On the finale of Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge, designers were challenged to create a new signature sneaker for James Harden of the Houston Rockets, using the Harden Vol. 1 as a jumping off point for inspiration. Our story "Jackpot James" is based on Harden choosing the number 13 when he was a teenager to wear as his number and how he was able to turn so many things that were deemed unlucky - being left-handed, the number 13 - into lucky by creating his own destiny and gambling on himself.
The designers also had to create one of a kind packaging, an in-store point of purchase display and a TV commercial/ad campaign.
TEAM TRIFECTA:
Brand Designer: Megan Ann Wilson
Footwear Designer: Gabe Gonzalez
Color + Materials Designer: Laurance Bass
"Jackpot James" for James Harden of the Houston Rockets
On episode 5 of Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge, designers were challenged to create a custom design for muse Eddie Huang, from Bao Haus and Viceland. Teams had to shop for shoes to deconstruct and remake into an unique design for Eddie using only pieces from the purchased shoes and one "base"
shoe..
The designers also had to create an interactive street art mural for a model to be apart of and style the model accordingly. Trifecta came second in this challenge.
TEAM TRIFECTA:
Brand Designer: Megan Ann Wilson
Footwear Designer: Gabe Gonzalez
Color + Materials Designer: Laurance Bass
"Killa Huang" for Viceland's Eddie Huang
On episode 3 of Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge, designers were challenged to create a design based on a reinterpreted version of a Stan Smith. The muse for this week was music superstar Fetty Wap. The shoe was a tribute to his hometown of Patterson, New Jersey aka the Zoo and his new album, Zoo King.
The designers also created an original rap and music video and styled a performance for this challenge.
Trifecta came third in this challenge.
TEAM TRIFECTA:
Brand Designer: Megan Ann Wilson
Footwear Designer: Gabe Gonzalez
Color + Materials Designer: Laurance Bass
"King of the Zoo" for rapper Fetty Wap
In this YouTube Red Original Series, Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge is the first-ever unscripted competition series where 12 aspiring footwear creators from around the world battle it out to design, develop, and produce the next great sneaker-- with the top three designers landing jobs at Adidas and making a shoe for James Harden!
