My 2-week Upper Construction project from our Year 1 footwear studio course.

This project was to choose a sport and explore how to innovate in lockdown mechanisms, upper construction, and fit. I chose professional surfing booties, specifically for use in warmer-water environments. The goal of this project was to find a way to encourage surfers to wear protective gear during competition and training through aesthetic appeal and performance improvement. A pride I have in this piece was creating a custom split-toe last model and teaching myself through prototyping how to pattern this unique upper style.