Orbix

Had to take my shot at a Wemby signature shoe. I absolutely love the extra terrestrial narrative around him and his style of play, so I used that as my starting point, most obviously referenced in the graphic on the quarter panels. The rest of the upper is a dynamic shell that is part upper, part midsole, part outsole. This was inspired by the idea of an alien life form with an exoskeleton. The shell provides support for the upper as well as protects the new cushioning unit I am calling ORBIX.

Final Design

Orbix was designed to provide dynamic cushioning that can adapt to different angles of impact. It is a 3D printed unit, so it would be easily scalable for production and easy to customize or adapt for different sizes/athletes. It is basically a soft shell filled with a varying matrix structure that is tighter in the forefoot for more response and more open in the heel for softer cushioning. The shoe's design is highlighted by several details that call back to Wemby.

Ideation

The pull loop is shaped to resemble the Eiffel Tower and features the number 1. The heel rubber has a small book detail that is inspired by his reading habit. The book is positioned so the cover and pages represent the hour of 9:30-10:30 pm. The arch plate is representative of a chess board, and the omni directional traction pattern is inspired by crop circles, further enhancing the extra terrestrial theme.

Inspiration