ADILETTE

Adidas’s Adilette sandal was first created in the 60s as a response to a German football team requesting a shoe that could be worn in their changing rooms and showers. The adilette (aka: the “shower shoes”) didn’t become mainstream until the ’90s, along with a slew of copycat versions right afterwards. The Adilette has since been used for various activities ranging from taking showers to running errands. The Adilette is one of Adidas iconic shoes such as the Superstar and the Stan Smith.

I was working with a team on this project where our goal with this explore potential ways in which the Adilette could be revamped for the modern person. The project, however was dropped but it was still a fun project to experience.

During this project I learnt how to retain composer and continue to strive for excellence regardless of the outcome. There is always a certain of maturity that must be expressed when working within a corporate setting. From projects being dropped due to politics or a switch in the team’s direction, flexibility and maturity is essential in remaining focus on the goal: to deliver innovative concepts.
Versus being upset and complaining about wasted energy, I decided to focus more on my self development as a designer. Each project teaches us a lesson, some just end quicker than others. Whoop! Whoop!
When working on a product as iconic as the Adilette, a designer learns how to edit their creation. On this project I started to develop a better understanding on how to design within constraints. Learning how to identify the product’s design markers or purpose is key in self editing.

Design markers are crucial in carrying out a product’s identity through a revamp. Above are permanent design elements that make up the iconic Adilette.

The main experiences we were conveying through out our designs is comfort, recovery and simplicity.

These attributes where explored through material innovations and form. Some of these material explorations included acupuncture, reflexology, "Healing Frequency" of 432 HZ, earthing (grounding) and the over all underfoot experience.

Below are material innovations.