What Are Those?!

LoaferMaxes. Loafers + Nike Vapormax Trainers. Continue reading to see the end product.

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The idea first came into my head a while back, like a fly that sneaks through your blinds, whizzes round the room, and slowly drifts down, annoyingly close to your toes.

And just like a fly poacher, I crept up on it slowly, eyes full beam, fingers ready to execute. And execute the idea I did.

I grabbed my favourite loafers like a grandpa excited to go lawn bowling. Twisting and turning the shoe, I picked up its “To be” partner. Marrying it to my comfy but overused Vapor Maxes. The two kissed in my hands, the vow was sealed. They would become one sooner or later.

What came upon me to tamper with the staple piece that is a slip on loafer and the relatively new technology of Nike running? I do not know. But a wise man (me) told me to never question the Eureka moment that settles in your prefrontal cortex! No, do not question it. It must be executed.

More importantly, this is not just a weird shoe concept but a metaphor for our quirky endeavours.

It is when we really don’t care what others will think is when we are truly free. Okay. Maybe sh*tting on a bus or licking train windows may need to be checked by fellow humans but when it come to your passion, dreams and ideas you must release yourself from this anxiety. Not everyone will understand and that’s fine. But trust me, someone out there will respect you for trying and for creating. Notwithstanding, the fact you owe it to yourself to grow as a human in this thing we call life and push yourself out your comfort zone.

Do I think the concept is amazing? - “I’m not sure.”

Do I think it is bad? - “No.”

Did I enjoy turning idea to reality? - “Yes, extremely.”

This points to a problem for modern artists, creators, and entrepreneurs. We always try to create what will get people talking, what people will like, what we’re 100% comfortable with. This should stop.

Sharing this Frankenstein of a creation to my brand’s social media was alright. But to my personal one was... oooo it was nail-biting. I was so apprehensive of what people would think. I wasn’t even sure of it myself.

But let me give you a few examples of why you should go through with that “unusual” idea that is prancing around in the back of your mind right now ( and has been for a while now).

In fashion, some current trailblazers are Off-White, Balenciaga and Valentino.

AKA they vandalise and graffiti over all our clothes. The T shirt on a T shirt and they put Naomi Campbell in a see through dress—wow that’s real practical—brands.

All these brands start with the absurd, the WTF creations. Then they can zone in on a nice denim jacket (Off-white), black sock shoes (Balenciaga) and camo sweatshirt (Valentino). AKA, the more conventional pieces. And guess what, the consumers eat it up... we love it! This is the same for Apple with its revolutionary touch-screen back in 2007. How absurd that was. Well now they can charge us $150 for wireless earphones that make us look even weirder. Nevertheless, we love that too!

However, when brands do vice versa, starting off with doing only the simple, creating only what everyone will like, what the majority will like, it’s all good for a while but never in the long term. Take for example Diesel and their denim, denim and more denim. Their ditch the labels quirky campaign was not enough to revive the brand out of financial failure due to lack of demand. Even Calvin Klein, the huge American giant known for their simple thin logo on your T-shirts, leggings, and underwear, couldn’t sustain the brilliance of creativity from RAF Simmons in their 205w39nyc line. Their consumers and shareholders had gotten so used to seeing the same old staple pieces that when they decided to do the weird, the unordinary, the conceptual, their stocks fell and the directors put the brakes on those antics real quick.

If you’re reading this now and you have that idea, that creation, that you’re not 100% certain people will like but you very much enjoyed creating/will enjoy creating it—then please put it out there. It will really test your commitment to the process. The journey of learning and improving.

It is not enough to design or think up the most extreme ideas that make you proud because it demonstrates that you can "think outside the box." Sometimes you need to say f*ck it and just go for it.

Besides, once you’ve got the people talking then you can start realising the “safer” but still beautiful concepts.

Thanks for reading, here’s what you’ve been waiting for.

The Finished Product

The paint distressing is inspired by margiela, off-white pieces.