If The Shoe Fits ...

Share on Facebook

I am happy to let my buddy Corrie hold the reigns today – the first in a series of guest starring performances by the talented members of the David Stark Design team.  Corrie is very central to our design department, amazingly talented, and a great artist, and I thought it would be fun for y’all to get a different perspective on life in the fast lane over here. 

Cheers!

D.

P.S.  I did not coerce her into saying the nice things she said! (wink)

- - - -

As a lucky member of David Stark’s design team, my desk sits closest to the door that leads to our office. I always know who is coming and going and I get many opportunities to check out our cool door knob. It is a classic men’s two-tone wing tip shoe.

 

This got me thinking how often we love to use ordinary objects in unusual ways; how seductive a Post-It note, a plastic bottle, or a sneaker can be simply by changing its context. David has often tried to convince us that we need to do an event’s decor completely out of tooth picks. Luckily, so far, he has settled for things a bit larger. In this case, shoes.

We have a junk shelf that has ended up as a drop off for materials we hope to use or get inspiration from someday. Last month, David came in with a huge smile on his face saying he had something for us to be “pumped about” and handed me a pair of gold glitter PUMPS.  Ha! Pun intended! Of course, I wanted to take them home, but dutifully they went on to the shelf for all to enjoy.

 

Last year for the Robin Hood Foundation, we made a tornado out of 3000 Nike sneakers! The kicker? All the shoes were donated after the event!

 

 

On a lighter note literally, we made an inflatable sneaker as an icon for our Target Bodega project.  The extra large sneak inflatable reminds me how the ordinary can be extraordinary by changing the scale and with a touch of humor.

 

We are not alone in our love of shoes as art and inspiration. There is a culture out there for sneaker freaks, complete with conventions, blogs, and magazines. Shoes have also starred as the muse for many an artist and designer.  Corporate brands have joined in as well, commissioning artists to create one of a kind sculptures crafted out of everything from cardboard to vegetables, limited edition runs, and even large scale installations created completely out of shoes.

 

Artist, Michael Leavitt created a series of cardboard sneakers.

 

Artist, Olle Hemmendorff crafted this hamburger Nike. To read more about Olle and this project, click here.

 

Paper twine shoes by Japanese artist, MNNF. To see more click here.

 

Graffiti artist Jor One, hand painted these super cool kicks.

 

I love this one, anything in miniature suddenly becomes so cute, and so smart. This was done by London artist, Jethro Haynes.

 

Scrap Wood Chucks by Dutch artist, Diederick Kraaijeveld.

 

Brown shoe company commissioned this giant shoe sculpture to sit in front of their building on Maryland Avenue in Clayton, MO. We love the idea of making large sculptures out of smaller versions of itself.

 

 

 

We made this giant pencil out of pencils for Robin Hood last year.

 

Asics Tigers made a giant shoe out of toys to celebrate its quirky Japanese roots. The giant shoe was a collaboration between StrawberryFrog, LA-based artist Gary Baseman, and Dutch photographer Marcel Christ.

 

Artist John McNaughton has created giant wooden shoe sculptures as part of a project in the lobby of the Shoe Carnival headquarters, located in Indiana.

 

Columbian artist, Federico Uribe, worked with Puma to create his installation “Human Nature” which is made entirely out of shoes.

Whether the shoe is the medium, the canvas, or the inspiration, it seems to be a common thread in our collective curiosities. In art school, I had to draw my own shoes more times than I care to count. In my travels through google it seems shoe art is still a staple for young art students. Luckily we haven’t grown out of it. Here’s to putting the right foot forward.

- Corrie

- - - -

Hi guys.

Me again  . . .

Growing up, I was kind of obsessed with the woman that lived in a shoe and had so many children she didn’t know what to do!  Here’s my contribution to your post, Corrie.  Thanks for all the fun surprises.  I really love all the cool stuff that you found . . . and YOU!

XX

D.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Kelly Oshiro]

Any way shoes can be more a part of my life, I am all for it. Great post!!!

[david stark]

Thanks, Kelly!!! Are you a shoe freak?

D.

[meghan]

hi David! meghan from chicago (worked on the bazaar with you). This post is great!! blows my mind! great blog:)

[david stark]

Meghan:

Thanks for the props and for all of your help in Chicago! We could not have done it without you.

Keep reading, writing in, and spreading the word about our blog to your pals.

I look very much forward to the next time we can play together.

D.

[lisia marie]

the shoe iz great and can be imaginary!!!!

[lisia marie]

da shoe may always fit more than once!! BELIEVE me,it works. find outmand tell meh ho ya did dat!! bby gurl lisia (LOVE3 YA) no homo

[christian louboutin]

Just one question: how to add your blog into my rrs reader, thanks so much.

[Blova Accutron]

wow your photos look amazing and great! excellent advert. it even makes me want to start stitching. and yah, i would totally rather buy a red needle, so when it drops on the floor i can see it!

[Web Content Services]

these are beautiful pictures