A plain, white pair of tennis shoes provides way too much creative potential to leave them as they come. Case in point, the Pimp My Flats exhibit has some stellar designs, showcasing ordinary plimsol shoes that have been taken to the next level of hip.
Each pair of Lazy Oaf shoes has been decorated differently, from designs that are wearable, even seriously desirable, to others which are just plain hideous.
A total standout is Shevonne Bliss' pair of trompe l'oeil tennis shoes which have been painted like a flip-flops, complete with faux toes baring an impossibly chic, scarlet pedicure. You could wear these even in the winter when your fiending the days you can crawl back into your summer wardrobe!
While none of the shoes in the Pimp My Flats exhibition aren't really intended as footwear, the shoes make adorably stylish home decor pieces. For £35 (US$69.48) a pair, they make pretty cute gifts for those shoe-obsessed fashionista friends as well.
Here are a few more shoe canvas projects:
Shoes as a Canvas
Pimp My Flats
Trend Themes
1. Customized Shoes - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the market for customized shoes where consumers can express their individuality through personalized designs.
2. Wearable Art - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop a platform or service that connects artists and consumers, allowing them to collaborate on unique wearable art designs.
3. Fashion Home Decor - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a line of stylish and artistic home decor inspired by fashion, such as transforming shoes into decorative pieces.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Retail - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate technology into fashion retail stores to offer customers the ability to customize and personalize their shoes.
2. Art Marketplaces - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build an online marketplace specifically for wearable art, connecting artists and art enthusiasts.
3. Home Decor - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Combine fashion and home decor industries by introducing a range of fashion-inspired home decor products.