Nike Air Max 97 “8 Wins”
Going from Ideation to Concept Prototype
Ideation
This project was a personal passion of mine, having grown up in a city with four major sports franchises. I was fortunate to be exposed to each sport at a young age and would ask for jerseys as Christmas gifts to feel more connected to the teams. However, as I got older, I noticed a lack of footwear that paid tribute to my hometown. This inspired me to come up with ideas that could tell a unique story about our city's traditions.
Origins of Al the Octopus
Starting in 1952, the octopi's tradition was born in Detroit, Michigan. Celebrating a playoff win a fan threw an octopus onto the ice, as he believed that it would bring good luck. During that time, it took 8 wins to be able to hoist the Stanley Cup. The same number of wins as there are tentacles on the octopus. Since then, the act of throwing octopi onto the ice has become a staple in the city and lives on to this day.
Mood Board
Design Brief
Once I started to figure out what story I wanted to tell and found images that I could draw inspiration from, I went to Illustrator and traced a mock-up of what I thought the sneaker could be. Below is the mock-up I created with text boxes that explain each component of the shoe.
Merchandising Roadmap
Creating this shoe not only benefits the Detroit market and its fans, but it could also be a part of a larger shoe collection that honors the original 6 NHL teams. This collection would reach different markets including Boston, New York, Montreal, Toronto, and Detroit. As the Detroit Red Wings franchise approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, this shoe could be a fitting tribute to its rich history.
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