Back in April, Hush Puppies came up with an idea to widen their appeal in the competitive shoe market. They decided to launch a competition to attract a new kind of customer to their brand: a younger, more fashion-conscious type of person.
So they broke out of the design office and asked members of the public to create a shoe. They wanted entrants to think outside the box, take risks, and use their full imaginative powers to create something special.
The prize? The winning designer would see their vision realised and rolled out in Schuh stores nationwide.
As well as the usual fashion and design students entering, there were teachers, artists and sales people. The competition was initially only open to people in the UK, but after word spread and entries came in from Australia and the USA, it went worldwide.
Over 700 entries came in, and the judges were surprised by the high standard and how difficult it was to whittle them down to 20 for the semi-final. They were looking for people who understood the Hush Puppies brand, but who were also aware of the latest catwalk trends and could incorporate them into their design.
We've put together a picture gallery of the 20 semi-finalists, and you can vote for the design that you think should go through to the final. The one that gets the most votes will then compete with four others chosen by the judges, with each design being made into a sample. At the end of October, the winner will be announced and their shoe will go into production.
We'd be interested to hear what you think about Hush Puppies' decision to run a competition like this. Is it wise to involve the public? Is it all just a clever marketing ploy? What about the designs: would you have done something different? Have the entrants missed a huge catwalk trend?
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
