GLITCHED is an outcome of the Pensole Puma-Hacked competition in Philly 2019.
Designers were gathered to compete in a one-day workshop to create a new sneaker model with existing or new pattern pieces. Pattern pieces of 3 models of Puma sneakers and a blank sneaker model were provided, all velcro-backed.
GLITCHED
The title of the competition “Hacked” inspired me to think of Japanese cyberpunk anime, Ghost in the shell 1995 and Akira, both featuring the plot of cyber hacking and intense vehicle racing.
I extracted and refined into 2 key inspirations for my design—glitch and motion blur, both are presentations of powerful, unrestricted and unexpected energy, which is how I define the brand Puma.
I started with laying out all the pattern pieces for observation. 
Since glitching and motion blur are both multiplications of a same imagery, I laid my eyes on the formstrips appeared all the puma models and decided to play with them in some repetitive ways that can accentuate the branding with my concepts. 
I roughly oriented them onto the model, and create multiple iteration sketches around each arrangement, refining with more details, while kept exploring 3 dimensionally and designing around my favorite orientations.  
Some 3D experimentations.
Towards the end I picked the offsetting formstrip as the hero element to design around as it best represent the concept of glitching.
PrototypeThe Formstrips start from the middle of the quarter panel, leaping forward and upward. the pieces are intended to be only sewn along the top edge, giving it a more unconstrained look, the bottom formstrip would even hang down into the midsole. 
POST COMPETITION
RENDERING
​​​​​​​Both the toe cap and the pull tap at the collar features an open window with a piece of underlay with puma branding on them, possibly made with fluorescent or reflective material, as a representation of city lights and screen displays in cyberpunk anime, also as reminiscence of front and rear light on motorcycles appeared in Akira.
The eyestay is double-layered in respond to the formshtrips. Lacing guides made with webbing are attached on the tongue to loop your laces into forward arrow shapes. 
The tongue label features a glitched jumping cat logo to pronounce the concept, beveled at the bottom to correspond with the arrowed lacing.
The strips are intended to have shades of color on each one or be made with translucent material to form a fading effect. The formshrips extend to the back and go beneath the collar, and visually continued with a separate piece of pull tap penetrating the collar and looping to the other side. ​​​​​​​
STELE
Entry for Puma-Hacked
The shoes feature a modified mechanism of Puma Disc lacing system, weaving through a TPU lace guide attached on the shoe tongue. The Puma branding is a piece of clear PVC that wraps around the whole shoe, around the sole, separating the sole into two segments. Two layers of counters in dark grey and light grey are displayed inside the PVC, along with the white upper to construct the color blocking effect inside of the branding. 
The design was based on the idea of "New Classics", drawing inspirations from Gundam and architecture to express a monumental vibe. The incorporation of geometric shapes with the soft curves of Puma branding forms a sober and tranquil harmony. 
3D models and prototypes coming soon,
Stay tuned.
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