#2: INSPIRATION. The Mental Journey behind Unique Sneakers

From Vintage Inspiration to Lizard Footprints: A Story of Passion and Creativity in the World of Footwear.

Hello comrade,

  * Today I'm sharing with you a special part of my journey in developing these shoes. It has been a journey full of passion, creativity and, above all, a deep love for the desire to achieve excellence in footwear.

   When I started this project, I was clear that I wanted something different, something that combined vintage and minimalism.

In recent years, just like the colorful; I am attracted to minimalism, with its simplicity and elegance. (a pen on my desk bothers me, so you understand me.). So we wanted our shoes to be a tribute to that classic aesthetic but with a modern twist.

  For the upper part the so-called "upper" we worked tirelessly in search of the perfect material, one that was resistant to abrasion (mechanical tests) and that would guarantee the durability of our shoes.

  I hired a designer so that the idea could take digital form and after telling him the idea of ​​the upper, references and sketches (I'm terrible at drawing) he presented me with 4 options in white, adding the one I finally selected.

But I didn't stop there. I wanted the aesthetic, along with minimalism, to represent the brand, for the sole of our sneakers to be something unique, something that would differentiate us from all the others.

Looking at options, I fell in love with the transparent soles, because they allowed us to unleash our creativity and add a touch of joy and color to each pair. That's when I decided to take the reins of the sole design.

   I dove into research, looking everywhere for inspiration. (I would go to the department stores and fill my camera roll with photos of all styles and materials) but my friend Google was the assistant who in one of my searches (I was looking for all kinds of things that came to mind) enlightened me, upon discovering that the animal with the greatest grip on the planet is a type of lizard, so I used its footprint and placed it on the front area of ​​the sole.(I attach the photo here).

    They also favored running due to their shape, so we emphasized the grooves in this front part for the flexing of the shoe during the support phase of the running.

  We wanted our shoes to be as comfortable as they were functional, so we designed a mechanical configuration for the rear; which provides maximum seat and comfort during the negative phase of the stride and great stability during weight bearing in this area. (see drawings)

My commitment to this project led me to devour books, articles, and consume all the related content I could find. Because when something touches you inside this way, you don't want to do anything else.

  I wanted to be a true connoisseur of the market and understand every aspect of sneaker manufacturing. Just like I think I achieved it with the knee pads (although I've been around for 9 years and I'm still learning.)

 Today, I am excited about everything I have achieved, I understood that from work on the other side of the screen I was not going to achieve excellence in the shoe and as you already know: Visa+ ticket and to the factory where the latest technology for sports shoes was.

   I'm enjoying the process every step of the way, I think it's important.Each pair of sneakers that they give me as a sample is the result of passion, dedication and love. At any time I think the manufacturer is going to give a Kunfu cake because I am too much of a perfectionist (and indecisive at times) so I give it a lot of extra work. but it's to get the best sports shoe and have peace of mind.

It is the essence of this project and my way of competing with big brands in the industry, because they still have a team of 100 people, but they do not have 1/4 of the soul and dedication that Banbroken shoes have. .

With gratitude and emotion, Antonio Millán