Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in October, but men and women fight the disease everyday. I made this unisex Air Force 1 prototype to ultimately raise awareness and funding for metastatic breast cancer research- which ties into a larger brand/design ethos of creating art for various causes. With this prototype I adjusted the pattern, mixed thread weights and was intentional with color/material selection. Read on for a design breakdown.

 

Pink is the color widely associated with breast cancer, but it is also known to symbolize health and wellbeing. strength, calmness and rejuvenation; among many others. It made sense to have pink be the main color for this pair not only for that reason, but also because of the color's documented history of being associated with both masculinity and femininity. It seemed perfect for this unisex project.

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Metastatic breast cancer may be considered terminal, but it doesn’t have to mean “defeat”. I used cork to symbolize the celebration of beating cancer (literally/figuratively), by making the most out of the days/years we’re given. 

 

The unique stitching on the swoosh resembles heart rate/pulse waves on an ECG screen. The red symbolizes blood flow and the life of anyone who has ever been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

 

Carbon fiber is one of the strongest materials in existence. Using carbon fiber vinyl for the vamp/quarter panels allowed me to symbolize the strength of anyone who has ever fought MBC.

 

In line with the colors/meaning of the MBC ribbon from Metavivor, I included green and teal accents on the tongue and liner.

 

Just like the importance of street signs or a construction worker's vest at night- the reflective underlays in the vamp/quarter panels represent symptoms coming to light after a routine check, the attention needed outside of October, and the importance of finding a cure. 🎗️