2006
KicksGuide
Artist Series
Artist of the Year
Ian Gale
(January 2007)
Before I even thought about designing shoes, it was all about cars! When I was a kid, instead of going outside to play, I would usually sit on the floor at home and draw cars. However, my passion for shoes began from the time I started playing basketball at the age of 13. My first pair of basketball shoes was a pair of "Blacktop" Reeboks. When Nike first released the Air Jordan XI back in ’96, it was love at first sight. I was already a huge Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls fan, but it was during the ‘golden era’ of athletic shoe design that I became a Nike loyalist. Even then I was still considering a career in car design, which eventually led me to pursue a degree in Industrial Design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, FL. It was around the summer of 2002 (my 2nd year in college) when I finally realized that a career in athletic footwear design was my calling. I had no idea what I was up against, but I knew within myself that I had the passion and determination to achieve this goal.
My progress over the years is, in itself, an achievement. I practiced sketching over and over until I got the proportions right. I was committed to learning as much as I could with the limited resources I had. Even before I discovered Kicksguide.com, I had been a Kicksology.net groupie. Most of my understanding of athletic footwear is owed to Professor K, whose in-depth reviews rated shoes in areas such as design, comfort, quality, performance and value. To this day I try to incorporate that knowledge into my designs. I can’t remember exactly how and when I found out about Kicksguide.com, but I was instantly hooked. However, I must admit that initially I was intimidated by the talent I saw coming out of the Artist Series contests. I kept thinking to myself, "I need to step up my game!"
In the spring of 2003, I did a school-based internship at Brain Lab in Boca Raton, FL, where I did work for casual urban brands such as Kenneth Cole Reaction, Ecko Red and DC Shoe Co. USA, just to name a few. During that time, I learned more about the sketch process, which helped me to understand a variety of design styles and applications. After the 3 month internship ended, I focused on applying my newly acquired knowledge to athletic footwear. When I graduated from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in March 2004 (Bachelor of Science - Industrial Design), my thesis focused on none other than athletic footwear design. My thesis was divided into 2 parts; a theory/research paper and a practical design presentation, which was also to be included in my final overall graduate portfolio.
After graduating, I was fortunate to find freelance work with an upstart basketball footwear and apparel company called Vanquish. Actually, my first KG.com Artist Series entry 2 years ago was an early concept I designed for Vanquish called the ‘Fastbreak’. I wasn’t a finalist, however, until January 2006 when I submitted an entry for the Ipod Nano theme entitled the ‘Zoom-pod’. Although I didn’t place, it gave me confidence that I could build upon. Subsequently, my perseverance paid off as I won both the King James vs Crazy 8 and Wadeness Artist Series contests later in 2006, which, to this date are among my most notable achievements. To be honest, the true satisfaction comes from knowing that I can impress my peers, whether in the KG.com community or in the industry as a whole.
Hence, I must have impressed a couple of people over at Sole Collector enough that they would offer me the chance (as if I would have declined the offer) to be the Focus Artist for Issue 16 of their magazine. That also ranks as one of my most, if not my most notable achievement to date and I am truly honored to have been recognized in that way. I would especially like to thank Nick DePaula for writing an excellent article and everyone at Sole Collector, including Professor K for initially providing the invaluable technical insight that continues to influence my designs to this day. I would also like to thank the entire KG.com community for inspiring me, especially Wayne Russell and Ade Otabor for being extremely supportive and for continually looking out for my best interests. Also I would like to thank any and everyone who has played a role in my development over the years. I still have a long way to go to achieve the goals I set for myself, but I definitely think I’m on the right path. Peace...
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