Yesterday, Foot Locker, Pensole Footwear Design Academy and Asics America revealed the winning sneaker from the first “Fueling to Future of Footwear” master class. Chosen from 1,4000 applicants, 18 students were invited to compete in six teams to create a new silhouette for the Asics Gel-Lyte III sneaker. The winning shoe will be sold on Foot Locker shelves in a limited-edition release of 300 pairs.
The three-week design course, which took place in July 2015, featured an intense competition built upon Foot Locker’s commitment to delivering the freshest, athletic-inspired footwear and Pensole’s “learn by doing” footwear design process.
“Through our partnership with Pensole, we are committed to fostering innovation and creativity in the next generation of footwear designers and we are thrilled to debut our first winning Asics design,” notes Andy Gray, vice president and general manager of Foot Locker U.S. “Offering this special, limited-edition Asics Gel-Lyte III design created by a team of fashion-forward thinkers truly demonstrates the core of everything Foot Locker stands for: delivering the freshest and most innovative products to our customers.”
The competition winners (chosen by Asics product and marketing teams and Pensole Founder D’Wayne Edwards) earned a $12,000 prize and saw their breakthrough sneaker design come to life, from conception to production and ultimately to Foot Locker shelves.
The design, aptly named “Pensole Reflect,” centers around the concept of reflection and mirror images. The design brings to life the variation between night and day, sporting bold blue overlays contrasted by bright orange accents. Further, playing off of a mirror, the right medial side reflects the ASICS logo from the left medial side. The casual shoe blends classic construction with contemporary design for optimal functionality and style.
