Design Context: OUGD505 - Study Task 1

In the sports shoe industry, the boxes and packaging has become as important as the shoes themselves. These packages are what the companies use to try differentiate themselves from competition in similar shoe designs. With some trainers coming in at such expensive prices, the companies put these custom boxes/packaging for specific shoes to try make them more individual and seem of more value than the competitors. Companies are also starting to make the boxes as much the product as the shoe is, integrating the two to draw the customers in.

A prime example of this is adicolor Lo.

Originally released in 1983, and remade in 2006, the adicolor LO was presented in a wooden painters box complete with brushes, paint and sealant. It is a literal concept, benefitting an owners creativity and the impulse to personalize shoes.

Something else that is quite popular among companies is to associate the shoe with someone well known. Nike has taken full advantage of this and has a wide range of shoes & boxes dedicated to basketball players, each with their own interesting and individual features.

Adidas Abdul-Jabbar

1971
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's adidas involvement was something that the brand was keen to capitalize on.

Nike Air Jordan II

1987
For the Air Jordan II, following on the breathtaking success of the original Air Jordan, this simply wouldn’t do. The Italian-made, Swooshless shoe arrived on American shores in an equally elegant one-piece black and white box that featured the ball and wings logo as a central element.

Nike Jordan XVII

2002
The most expensive Air Jordan of all time at a cool $200, the Air Jordan XVII was presented in a metal briefcase that should have come with a pair of handcuffs. Instead, it arrived with a CD of videos and imagery giving some of the backstory to the shoe.

Nike Jordan XVIII

2003
After the Jordan XVII set the standard for ostentatious packaging of a general release basketball shoe, expectations were high for the release of the XVIII. While materials weren't as lofty - no metal, just cardboard - the XVIII featured one of Beaverton's first drawer style boxes.

Nike Air Jordan VI/XI

2006
This set retailed for $295. Both the Air Jordan VI and XIs have hints of gold subtlety designed on the sneakers. The casing itself is blinding with that loud gold throughout its sides. The shoeboxes slide out and then fold down revealing pictures of defining moments in Michael Jordan’s career.

Vans x Simpsons

2007
Commemorating the Simpsons Movie, Vans commissioned 12 artists for a collaborative package of 14 total shoes. In true Simpsons form, each artist was given the Matt Groening treatment becoming fully functioning characters in the story.

Nike Jordan XXII

2007
The theme for the Air Jordan XX2 was “stealth.” Inspiration was drawn from the F-22 — at the time the most advanced fighter jet in the world — and the box followed the shape of the plane's hangar. Michael Jordan accepted the theme to the extent that he started answering to “Stealth” himself.

Nike LeBron 9 “China”

2011
This release was inspired by the Chinese zodiac’s year of the dragon, with a light blue upper, contrasting orange Swoosh and a dragon mural printed across the tongue. The packaging complements the sneakers perfectly with an intricate design throughout the shoebox.

As well as using well known figures on the packaging & to endorse the products, many shoe companies collaborate with designers to create more interesting shoes, packaging or both.

Nike "Pushead" Dunk SB

2005
Nike SB utilized Pushead’s insole print on the lid of the box, marking the first time an SB box was as displayable as the shoes within.

Adidas x Star Wars/Bape x Marvel

Star Wars: 2005
Marvel: 2009
When working on a shoebox design and collaborating with a toy company, it was definitely the right choice for Adidas to incorporate the traditional toy packaging. Both Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader would be proud.

New Balance x Crooked Tongues "Confederacy of Villainy" Collection

2007
New Balance collaborated with the Crooked Tongues team to package their UK-made 'Confederacy of Villainy' pack celebrating some well-known villains, and wanted something beyond the neutral beige of the contemporary box. Each shoe got its own box with the fine fonts and art skill of tattooist and Crooked crew member Mr. BJ Betts applied. That slide-out case encased the shoes in their standard packaging.

Nike x Concepts "Blue Lobster" Dunk SB

2009
Boston retailer Concepts has released two versions of the famed Lobster dunk — the first in 2008 and the second in 2009. The shoes were tagged, bagged, and stashed in a HAZMAT foam container.

Another design decision that has become popular among these brands is the materials used for the packaging. As shown above, there is a wide variety that use formats and materials not usually associated with shoe packaging.

Adizero f50 Boot