Pimp my sneakers
Diana Kiernander gets her creative juices flowing
with Puma’s new Do-lt-Yourself shoe design
facility, the Mongolian BBQ.
ou don‘t know me. but in
the interest of authenticity.
I should tell you that I really like sparkly shoes and I last owned a pair of trainers when l was about l4. So. faced with the challenge of customising a Puma shoe in the sportswear brand‘s (ilasgow store. I dreamt of giving the original a high performance kick. a true silver and sequins makeover.
Puma’s idea is a simple one. (‘ustomers are invited to transform the cult RSl()() shoe. using their imaginations. computer technology and a pick’n’mix style
TRAINER AFICIONADOS WILL LOVE THE RUSH, BUT MAKING A SNEAKER SHINE IS A TRICKY PROCESS
selection process. Based on the layout of a Mongolian barbecue. with choices to suit every taste. Puma promise you can cultivate your design cuisine with ease and serve tip a unique slice of customised clobber. Laces. heal caps and trims are to be colour coded by you. and there's a mecca of material to choose from as well.
'l‘rainer aficionados. I think. would love the rush. but making a sneaker shine is a tricky process. I’m faced with finding colour and material matches for a shoe broken down into no less than ten parts. l want heels and bling in 3()
seconds. The store supervisor tells me there are over a million possible design combinations. which is terrifying. given they are £100 a pop. An expensive mistake. should reality yield that a yellow toe cap clashes with a pink backstay. Plus. you wait five weeks to see your design. and that‘s a long time for a lady lusting over some footwear.
In truth. this idea is straight from planet fashion. But reality dictates we choose clothing and footwear we can actually wear more than once. The Puma custom crown has real potential though. Stick with a straightforward colour palette and add flashes of zing and you're on course to create a look that is uniquely yours.
While staff can’t actually craft the shoe with you. there is a well- stocked refrigerator of ready-made styles to help you with colour combinations and sizing.
liventually l emerge with a red and gold classic. and while it’s not my usual style. I do feel a strange sense of pride at having actually worked through the design process.
Puma has a history of creating one offs. as its collaborations with Philippe Starck and Alexander McQueen show. And now they‘ve gone for customisation. Something tells me that. once again. Puma‘s shiny sneakers will run and run.
The List is offering you the chance to create your own pair of custom trainers. To win. the prize. worth $2100, tell us which cult shoe are Puma inviting followers to customise? Send your entry to The List, 14 High Street. Edinburgh. EH1 OAL.
Diana
Kiernander
selects ingredients from
the ‘Mongolian shoe 880’ laid on in Puma’s Glasgow store and (below), inspects her . completed shoe
DESIGNERS V PUNTERS
Can shoppers really design shoes better than shoe designers? We put Diana’s effort to the test alongside two shoes designed by Puma, to see
which one shoppers would prefer
PINK BROWN
Nick Lazarus 23. student. Favourite shoe Pink. ‘I think customising your own shoe is a good idea. It's set up well with the computer.‘
John Weeks 19. student. Favourite shoe Red.
Dawn Joseph 30, singer. Favourite shoe Red.
Suzanne McCheyne (it).
Customer Manager.
Favourite shoe Red. ‘I don't think I'd wear any of them. but I'd choose the red one.‘
Dom Nisbett 18. musician. Favourite shoe Pink. ‘The pink one is by far the best!‘
Raymond Steele 18. student. Favourite shoe Red.
Suzanne Hendry 40. self employed. Favourite shoe Pink. ‘The pink one has so much colour, it's the most extreme. but I like it.‘
Nick Kincaid 2-“1. underwriter. 'I don't like any of them!‘
i~': Dec 2006 -1 Jan BUCK THE LIST ‘I 17