Today's twofer is my love of shoes combined with my love of cutting things up to fit, along with a bit of simple embellishment, which is what the book Shoegasm: An Explosion of Cutting Edge Shoe Design is all about-amazing shoes and creativity!
I like these boots, but they were way too wide. Then I saw the ones in the magazine, andI loved the way they laced up on the side.
The pair I had were given to me, so I really had nothing to loose by trying out an alteration.
I put the boots on and pinched them to see how much extra leather there was and then added a bit because I wanted there to be a space along the side.
I sketched out an opening and then cut the side of the boot.
I next marked where I would punch holes for the laces.
After I punched the holes, I simply laced up the sides with a bit of leather cord with the boot on so I got a perfect fit.
My next shoe altering project was super easy. Not quite as extensive as this toy cover shoe by Amar Nasri featured in Shoegasm: An Explosion of Cutting Edge Shoe Design, but still based on plastic toys.
I simply took two army men and glued them into the open space of the shoe.
If you like crazy-wild shoes, then you'll be inspired to make some of your own with:
To see an a whole bunch of the amazing shoes, pop on over to QBookShop.com and click on the Google Preview Button.
More about the Race Point book:
Shoegasm: An Explosion of Cutting Edge Shoe Design
by Clare Anthony, Preface by: Manolo Blahnik
“A shoe is a very complicated object to design. It is art, but involves mini architecture: materials, techniques, tooling. The end result is a fantasy sculpture to look at, but has another life when it is worn.” - Kobi Levi
Exotic shoes have been around for centuries. Sandals made of solid gold were found in the royal tombs of ancient Egypt. Six hundred years ago, women teetered around Venice inchopines with platforms up to a foot high. And in China, tiny golden lotus shoes were brightly colored and elaborately embroidered. In the twentieth century, Salvatore Ferragamo introduced platform shoes and “invisible” sandals. Beth Levine invented sprint-o-lator mules and topless shoes held to the sole by adhesive. Roger Vivier created the concave stiletto and comma heels for his extravagantly bejeweled concoctions. The last two decades have seen an explosion of creativity in footwear design. Sexy laced-up sandals, sky-high platform heels, and outrageously decorated shoes are seen on fashionable women everywhere, from the catwalk to the street.
In Shoegasm, you’ll find page after page of fabulous footwear from fashion icons such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Vivienne Westwood, and Alexander McQueen, as well as exciting young designers like Nicholas Kirkwood, Charlotte Olympia, and collaborators Rem D. Koohhaas and Galahad Clark. You’ll also see shoes that are truly wearable art from innovators like Kobi Levi, Julian Hakes, and Marloes Ten Bhomer.
