SHINOBI

Client: ADIDAS

Adidas invited Studio McCaffrey to redesign their bestselling Boost trainers for their avant-garde, fashion-led brand Y-3.

  • Top left: Black running shoe with white sole, top right: Black and white patterned running shoe with white sole, bottom left: White and black running shoe with white sole, bottom right: White running shoe with white sole.

    The process began with research into the evolution of the Boost shoe to define its key characteristics, which include its innovative energy-return sole and dynamic performance aesthetics. The shoes also worked effectively with monochrome graphics.

  • Sketches and notes for designing footwear insoles with features like boost pads, arch support, gel inserts, and dual density foam, including diagrams of various insole shapes and a note about heel forefoot and lower boot band support.

    Initial pencil sketches, aimed to enhance the sense of ‘boost’, required a new sole unit to be devised, incorporating heel and forefoot boost capsules to provide additional energy return.

  • Sketch of a shoe sole design, including different views and structural elements such as boost 'capsules', a solid frame, a fluid chassis structure, and foam support. Notes indicate features like 'bulbous boosters', 'boost 'capsules'', and 'femoral shank support frame'.

    These boost capsules were strategically positioned in voids between a more rigid chassis, which offered anatomical support to various areas of the foot.

  • Collage of urban elements including a black and white drawing of a building, a nighttime cityscape, a person in dark clothing standing on the street, and a treadmill

    To convey the overall look and feel intended for the redesign, a certain ‘stealth’ quality in the existing shoes was identified. This led to the exploration of an ‘urban-ninja’ direction, defined through a mood board that outlined the creative vision.

  • Collage of five images showcasing different types of footwear, including black leather shoes, sneakers, sock shoes, and specialized shoe accessories.

    A theme board was also developed to examine traditional and modern ‘ninja’-style shoes. An intriguing comparison was discovered; the traditional ninja under sole also featured distinct zones for the heel and forefoot areas. Hidden tab closures emerged as a potential direction for a key feature, forming part of the overall design specification.

  • A collage of various items from the Star Wars universe including a blueprint of a spaceship, a silver sneaker, a nighttime cityscape, Luke Skywalker holding a blue lightsaber, Han Solo in a space suit lying on a medical chair, and a black sneaker.

    The boost theme also evoked ideas of astronauts, rockets, and space travel. This reference to familiar space equipment inspired material choices and forms, while another iconic Adidas shoe, the Micropacer, aligned with the boost concept of space travel due to its external tongue panel resembling a space shuttle, as well as its innovative bi-density sole.

  • Rapid sketches of the upper section were created, focusing on thematic features and details inspired by space shuttle silhouettes and the notion of ‘strapping in’ with elasticated belts and tab fastenings.

  • A final hand sketch was produced and subsequently translated into a digital format to retain overall proportions and allow for the accurate refinement of geometries, constructions, and details, resulting in a design specification drawing.

  • Explorations of possible graphic and tonal combinations provided an initial impression of the shoe as it would first be seen by its audience. Panels were checked for alignment to ensure that various elements could create a variety of strong silhouettes in future versions, should the shoe evolve into a long-term brand style.

  • Finally, several material samples were proposed to complement the visual and tactile impression intended for the shoe, including soft, padded, textured leather, silver detailing, and contrasting sole finishes.

    The name SHINOBI translates from Japanese as ‘STREET NINJA’.