Global Footwear Awards Category winner Vrinda Gupta discussed TEAL Design, GFA 2020 winning design.
Making its debut on the international design stage, Global Footwear Awards (GFA) has begun its global search to identify the most innovative design in footwear. TEAL Design was awarded the best in ethical footwear category for pro level.
TEAL Design are a labour of love and passion and made in our atelier by our skilled artisans from India. The shoes are 100% handcrafted as we strive to empower and enable the beautiful, traditional craft of hand making shoes. Our chief designer Vrinda Gupta shuttles between India and Singapore to work on her passion project -TEAL. She specialises in surface ornamentation and intricate hand embroidery in her designs.
Our packaging our upcycled dust bags made by recycling wasted fabric from other designers. We work with a NGO supporting women – Literacy India to craft the dust bags.
Vrinda’s background
Vrinda has been in the Footwear Industry for the last 12 years and her experience ranges from designing, retailing, manufacturing as well as training and mentoring. Her brand TEAL is based on the foundation of her belief in empowering grassroot artisans and working alongside them in India to create world class designs.
GFA talks with Vrinda about her winning project.
What do you see as the strengths of your winning project?
First of all I have a lot of gratitude to be able to win this and would like to thank the esteemed jury and the organisers of the first ever Global Footwear Awards. The strength of my winning project has been what my company truly stands for – aligning, preserving and empowering traditional shoe making techniques of the uber skilled craftsmen of India. The brand is what it is because of them. That has been duly recognized and awarded and am very thankful.
What does this award mean to you personally?
Running TEAL has been my labour of love and passion. Getting this award has instilled in me the confidence that I am on the right path of what I am trying to achieve – aligning the welfare of my skilled artisans is something that is being recognized and awarded. Its made me want to continue on this path with all my heart.
What is your guiding design principle?
My guiding design principle has been hand craftsmanship and hand embroidery and all my designs are a testament of that.
How/when did you discover that you wanted to work in design?
After being in the footwear industry for 6-7 years – in retailing and buying, I wanted to explore the world of footwear designing. I went to ARS Sutoria, Milan to do a course on Developing a Footwear Collection. Subsequently, I came back to Singapore to do my Diploma in Footwear Design and Product Development at TaF.tc. This experience gave me the confidence to design my own collection and work with artisans in India to materialise it.
What would be your dream design project?
My dream design project would be to a part of a collection of footwear in collaboration with Gucci’s Alessandro Michele.
How has the pandemic affected your work and design process?
The pandemic has been something that none of us had ever imagined or prepared for. It has been an extremely unexpected hit to the business. The welfare and interest of our artisans has been of prime importance with the lockdown in India and beyond. We have managed to raise some funds for them and also consistently tried to support and work with them through this period. Its been limiting for a small business like mine but work like contract manufacturing, free lance designing and consulting are some things that have got us going. With the pandemic focus has been on fewer designs rather than new collections as trade shows and physical interaction with customers has been limited.
What would you tell your younger self seeing you winning the awards?
I would tell myself to keep believing in what I was doing and things would eventually work out with patience and perseverance.
What is your design mantra you live by?
I live by the design mantra of seeing beauty and inspiration in everyday life. Anything from a flower, to a chair can be a source of unbelievable inspiration. Its all about keeping your mind open and seeking it.
What advice would you give to future aspiring footwear designers?
Be original. Don’t be swayed by what you see others doing and make sure your means of business are fair and ethical.
What do you wish to see more of in the footwear industries?
I wish I would see more of – more sustainable material – that even small suppliers have easy access to like mushroom leather, ethical work practises with workers, less of mass production and wastages of inventory.
Global Footwear Awards Category winner Hengbo Zhang discussed Off-Normal, GFA 2020 winning design.
Making its debut on the international design stage, Global Footwear Awards (GFA) has begun its global search to identify the most innovative design in footwear. Off-Normal was awarded the best in Men’s Dress category for student level.
Off-Normal Off-Normal is designed for recent graduates dealing with the transition in their identity, mindset, living and working environments from a classroom to an office. These shoes have both the characteristics of a traditional formal leather shoe and the personality and comfort of a sneaker that match the identity of recent graduates. Inspired by the classic Oxford shoe, Off-Normal’s sense of elite flows through every detail of it. These details are both the future a graduate seeks and the protective color he uses to hide his current self.
Hengbo’s background
Hengbo Zhang is a designer passionate about creating unique and meaningful experiences and products for people. In his work, he looks to decode culture and recognize the human in the spaces, objects, and interactions surrounding us in our daily lives.
Design is a language worth a lifetime of learning to Hengbo. Visual language integration is his tool to express his ideas, but he is still seeking opportunities to combine it with more senses to integrate experience for products.
GFA talks with Hengbo about his winning project.
What does this award mean to you personally?
I am very honored to receive this award for my work. For a budding footwear designer, this is certainly a great encouragement and recognition. My major is industrial design, but I really like designing shoes, so I gradually shifted my focus to footwear design during my university studies. Since footwear design courses are rarely offered in college, I was mostly self-taught in this field. This award is not just an honor for me, but also a guide to what a good footwear design looks like.
What is your guiding design principle?
I’m a designer passionate about creating unique and meaningful experiences and products for people. In my work, I look to decode culture and recognizing the human in the spaces, objects, and interactions surrounding us in our daily lives.
Where do you get motivation and inspiration from for your work?
My source of inspiration can come from anywhere, from what I see on my travels, from conversations with friends, or from thinking about nature. Anything that can form a question in my mind can be the start of an idea. As an industrial design student, the instinctive starting point for my exploration of design is to solve problems. I hope that the way I find and understand inspiration is all driven by problems.
How do you feel footwear design has evolved over the past years and how do you see it evolving in the future?
I generally see the latest designs and attempts in this field through footwear designers and related accounts that I follow on instagram. With the gradual expansion of social media influence, footwear design is spreading more widely and tending to be more mainstream. And with designers having more accessible design tools, they can take a pair of shoes from an initial idea to a full-fledged rendering in a very short period of time. Except you can’t touch them with your hands, you can even try them on with AR devices. I think this is great for facilitating the exchange of new ideas, but at the same time I would be concerned that it would be more than worth losing the exploration of the physical shoe making process as a result.
What’s your creative process and what creative software do you use?
The implementation of my design ideas always starts with a sketch. Because I need to keep trying and adjusting in the initial stage of the idea. Sketching is the fastest way I know how to do it. When I get to the refinement stage, I use my familiar 3D modeling software to refine the details, and Rhino and SolidWorks are the ones I use the most all the time. But in the last two years I’ve also been using a VR design software called Gravity Sketch to help me instinctively make detailed models with two-handed manipulation.
What kind of culture or structure needs to exist to foster successful team collaboration?
I think the advantage of teamwork is not only the efficiency gains from multiple people working together, but also the feedback between members of different areas of the team is especially important. Adequate communication is a prerequisite for the quality of a product design. I think this kind of open and honest partnership and working environment will allow people to let go and do real creative work.
How has the pandemic affected your work and design process?
I’ve been working on design collaborations online in addition to school and work before the pandemic. I think the pandemic has brought more of a boost to online collaboration, and online work has been accepted on a larger scale. However, I encountered many difficulties when I was making the physical model for my award-winning work, my thesis project. The main reasons were communication and time issues. The person you interface with online is often not the person who will make things for you, but their contact person, who specializes in consulting. It made my communication costs and time costs unpredictable throughout the process. But, In any case, I hope that the pandemic will end soon and bring people closer to each other again.
With so many designs coming out daily, how do you keep pushing boundaries in footwear design?
I always hope that I can make good designs that can stand the test of time. I want to discover new and exciting design breakthroughs through observation and understanding of new things. In addition to the technical aspects, I also want to use design language to make shoes have the ability to give a voice to young people starting out in the workplace. But I know that until I reach this goal, all I can do is to keep learning and experimenting.
What advice would you give to future aspiring footwear designers?
There are two points in total. First, there are so many ways to learn these days, don’t hesitate before you even start, as long as you have access to them as a place to start. Then, digital models and renderings on social media platforms are certainly very cool and appealing. But there is also great value in the wisdom of materials and craftsmanship contained in traditional physical models, and there is no substitute for that hands-on touch. Footwear design is challenging and fun. I hope you enjoy it.
Global Footwear Awards Category winner Frederick Phua discussed City Glider, GFA 2020 winning design.
Making its debut on the international design stage, Global Footwear Awards (GFA) has begun its global search to identify the most innovative design in footwear. City Glider was awarded the best in performance category for student level.
City Glider empowers us to explore more and cover longer distances through walking. Taking people off crowded trains, buses and lowering vehicle usage. Reducing congestion, accidents and carbon emissions. A step toward an efficient, sustainable mobility future.
It augments the walking experience by extending our stride and walking threshold. Lightweight, human powered, and requiring almost no effort, the pneumatic mechanical system within the footwear harnesses force expended from the heel strike and releases it in the mid-stance position to propel the user forward by up to 11.6%.
Frederick’s Background
Growing up in multicultural, multilingual Singapore and living in countries like Japan and the United Kingdom, Frederick always had respect for others and developed a deep appreciation for, and highly value the importance of a multicultural design sense.
He believes that design is not just about solving a problem, but also about creating drive and emotion. This reflects very clearly in his works where he strikes a balance between needs and desires.
Frederick graduated from the Nagoya University of Arts, with a BA(1st) in industrial design. Upon graduation, he joined Yamaha Motor, Japan, a tier 1 automotive company. He quickly rose from being an industrial designer to a design lead. Some of his designs include production and advanced concepts such as the Yamaha X-Max, MT- 15, Janus 125, Glorious, E0I, Gear 125 et cetera. All of which have attracted international attention.
In 2018, he was awarded a full scholarship by Yamaha to do a postgraduate programme at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. Where he attained his MA/MSc (Distinction) in Innovation Design Engineering.
Apart from vehicle design, Frederick has also worked on many projects in other fields such as healthcare, social design, furniture, and footwear. Garnering him with the James Dyson Award, IF Talent Award, Global Footwear Award, and featured on Nikkei news, the Evening Standard London and Yahoo Sports UK to name a few.
He is currently back in Singapore, aiming to create a stir in the mobility sector with a start-up company, ION Mobility.
GFA talks with Frederick about his winning project.
What is your design mantra you live by?
I am always fascinated with mobility, with “Innovating Freedom” at the core of all of my work.
How/when did you discover that you wanted to work in design?
My hands are always moving. Using scraps of materials I can get my hands on to build things. I was convinced I would go into engineering until my grand aunt introduced me to Industrial Design. That changed the course of my life.
Where do you start when tackling innovative design solutions?
Questions. It is all about asking questions.
What was most important for you when working on this project and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
What’s your creative process and what creative software do you use?
My creative process is rather simple. I like to think “within the box”. It is where innovation truly lies. I would always start with the value or meaning I want to create. Do a lot of research to know the constraints surrounding the topic. Knowing what I do not want to do and finally creating more problems. These 4 boundaries help form a box in which I think. My creative software is my hands, a pen, and paper.
How do you deal with feedback?
In all honesty, I do not do very well with negative feedback. But I always take a step back and try to understand where the other person is coming from. Over time, I have built an immunity toward it. I can now identify the constructive and non-constructive ones.
How do you handle pressure in design?
Focus. Know your end point and just keep working towards it.
What would you tell your younger self seeing you winning the awards?
One’s only regret can only be, “not trying”.
What advice would you give to future aspiring footwear designers?
No story is too wild to be told.
Where do you get motivation and inspiration from for your work?
Motivation comes from breaking the rules and inspiration comes from the littlest, unglorified things in life.
Global Footwear Awards Category winner Rik Olthuis discussed Voroni Runners, GFA 2020 winning design.
Making its debut on the international design stage, Global Footwear Awards (GFA) has begun its global search to identify the most innovative design in footwear. Voroni Runners was awarded the best in sustainable category for student level.
Voroni Runners are sneakers made using only 100% biodegradable materials, constructed without the use of any adhesives so material can be seperated and composted individually. Biodegradable alternatives accommodate proactive waste management targeting the source of the issue as opposed to dealing with materials after production. Implementing the latest in 3D printing and scanning technologies, combining additive manufacturing with injection molding for a specialized outcome to ensure a comfortable fit, prompting healthy exercise.
GFA talks with Rik about his background and his winning project.
What is your background?
Industrial Design graduate from Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. Completed a Bachelor of Design with Honours in Industrial Design and a minor in Marketing. I have a passion for designing products that improve environmental, social and experiential factors. Within footwear I look to examine the product lifecycle and use innovative materials and constructions, employing developing technologies such as scanning and 3D printing to offer environmentally focused designs.
What does this award mean to you personally?
To me the Global Footwear Awards provides validation, not just as a designer but in footwear specifically. Footwear is a huge market and it’s difficult to know where you stand. The Global Footwear Awards have helped ground my work and see that this exploration is seen and valued.
What was most important for you when working on this project and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
Most important to me was ensuring that the work I produced I was proud of and to a high enough standard. I wanted to push and challenge myself when developing the project brief. I had been told developing a pair of shoes would be difficult and to make sure its achievable by cutting back in areas that would be too difficult. This made me want to showcase my skills to have a resolved functional pair of shoes that will reflect my work and abilities. The biggest challenges came around learning completely new areas, as an industrial designer I had a lot to learn around soft fabrics, these have a completely different form and movement.
How/when did you discover that you wanted to work in design?
Throughout my studies I tended to find that industrial design blended my range of skill rather perfectly, I was able to showcase my problem solving, creativity, craftsmanship, ingenuity, mathematics even physics. These were all subjects I enjoyed, being able to bring together all these skills together made me love design even more. Footwear specifically was something I had always had an interest in. With a wide background in sports, it became a clear link between being active and healthy and my developing design passion.
How do you think your own culture and environment has shaped your personal and professional creative vision?
I think I come from a unique background, born in New Zealand with a full Dutch heritage I have a connection with natural and lush green backyards along with the experience of the European lifestyle. I understand well that innovation and technological advancements help build great communities while also valueing sustainability appreciating how the natural experience can really enrich health and wellbeing.
How do you feel footwear design has evolved over the past years and how do you see it evolving in the future?
Over the past decades footwear has become incredibly specialized employing new and unseen technologies, resulting in the average consumer owning many pairs of shoes. This has ramped up production and demand for more niche footwear. I think the future holds potential for a more streamlined production where products are able to be made specialized without large production expenses. A unified manufacturing means where energy consumption and biproducts can be evaluated and managed more effectively.
What do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities in your career and the industry now?
Manufacturing means have been established and set in their ways, if it’s not broken don’t fix it. Our behavior around product use and consumption has set a standard. Environmental threat is asking for alternatives, this is a big change and one to be done over time. Finding and introducing these alternative methods will be a challenging and exciting process to improve our consumption culture.
Design has become so accessible, more people are able to express their thoughts working towards an overall improvement of the products we build relationships with, I see this as the opportunity. However it remains difficult to separate your ideas from the many others. The already competitive industry is flooded with designs and when evaluated are most often reduced down to just aesthetic and price.
What’s your creative process and what creative software do you use?
I always start with the bare stripped-down mediums. Theres a rawness to sketching and an ability to separate cognitive thought to the lines and marks that are made resulting in a real freeness of design, this is where I also tend to mix mediums built up from my experience with pencils, pastels, pens and paint. In the next stages I work towards digital refinement using the adobe creative cloud suite. When moving down the process I always think 3D modelling is invaluable and provides endless detail that is lost in imagery alone. A lecturer of mine used to say a picture is worth a thousand words, and a model is worth a thousand pictures. Once experimented with model making and testing I move to 3D modelling where my strengths lay with Rhinoceroses and Solidworks. From here I am able to present ideas through rendering software’s such as Solidworks Visualize and Keyshot. With a set of plans and research and testing behind me I can begin crafting and machining the final work that best represents the development process, proposing a strong solution to the initial problem.
What kind of questions do you ask before beginning a shoe design? What piece of information is of utmost value?
I think its most important to know what or who are you designing for and to not lose sight of this. Keep referencing back to your original issue and ask yourself if this will help improve the situation and overall way of life.
How do you feel about the topic of sustainability in regards to footwear design in general?
I think sustainability is definitely on the rise in terms of awareness and even execution in the footwear industry but it can be a difficult concept in design. We design products and footwear to meet consumer needs which are largely driven by wants, resulting in a fast fashion mindset. I think importance has been placed on sustainability but we don’t have a clear answer yet, the more exploration the better. It’s the most exciting part of designing as it is the way of the future and has the potential to solve all problems, they just need to be valued and explored to be able to meet and even surpass more traditional production methods.
What do you wish to see more of in the footwear industries?
I wish to see more young minds so passionate about advancing and improving these design sectors. I do think it’s happening but I wish I could just see more of it as well as the outcome right now.
Los Angeles, CA –Farmani Group launched The Global Footwear Design Awards (GFA) for the first time as a sister awards alongside IDA International Design Award. The GFA recognizes visionary design talent from around the world with an ambition to provide the highest recognition to footwear designers in all categories including sustainability and medical footwear.
The GFA jury panel consists of leading industry professionals coming from different disciplines within the footwear industry, including publications, retailers, institutions and the footwear guru in the industry, providing an overall industry perspective towards the selection of the best designs. Here are some of our jury’s words:
“Having judged the awards and really investigated what each brand/trainer was about, it was so great to see a dedication to sustainability and ethical practices on so many fronts. It’s one thing designing and manufacturing great-looking shoes, but to do so and achieve a high-level of sustainable awareness at the same time is applaudable.” Zak Maoui, British GQ Style Editor.
“The GlobalFootwearAwards is a great competition for both, young and aspiring designers to showcase their concepts and also for established brands to let their work compete against each other.” Timon Kuhlenkamp, On Running Footwear Designer.
“Apart from enjoying the variety in creativity I was most happy to see that more and more designers start to think of footwear as an area to tackle socio-political issues and so plays a part in taking the discipline beyond only reproducing styles of fashion, and playing with technology, and engaging with real-life issues.” Eelko Moorer, LCF MA footwear course leader.
Here are the 2020 GFA ‘Best Overall Winners’
Nate Jobe Jobe
Fashion Sneakers – Brand level
Liz Ciokajlo
Fashion – Brand level
Fionn Corcoran-Tadd
Performance footwear– Brand level
MgA. Zuzana Oharek Bahulova, Ph.D.
Medical footwear– Brand level
Benjamin Thomas
Sustainability– Brand level
Kui Cai
Special Awards– Brand level
Jaden Zhai
Kids – Independent level
Safa Sahin
Fashion Sneakers– Independent level
Olly Saunders
Fashion– Independent level
Phua Wei Qiang Frederick
Performance footwear – Student level
Maria Bika
Medical footwear– Independent level
Rik Olthuis
Sustainability– Student level
Chiyang Duan
Special Awards– Student level
Congratulations to all winners on their outstanding works!
The Global Footwear Design Award’s Founder, Hossein Farmani, commented, “Our esteemed jury members have worked hard to select the best projects. We are proud to present the Winners of our inaugural year, celebrating the creativity and talent of incredible design Footwear from around the world, giving them the global exposure they deserve.”
To learn more about GFA’s submission criteria and award structure, winner benefits, and more, click here. For any press enquiries, email team@globalfootwearawards
Recognizing visionary design talents from all around the world, The Global Footwear Design Awards (GFA) has announced the first annual winners. Launched as a sister award alongside International Design Award by Farmani Group, GFA has an ambition to provide the highest recognition to footwear designers on all levels and in all footwear categories.
The GFA jury panel consists of leading industry professionals coming from different disciplines within the footwear industry, including publications, retailers and institutions, providing an overall industry perspective towards the selection of the best design.
Scroll down to discover the first annual winners of Global Footwear Awards:
Evaluating submissions from all over the globe, entries are evaluated at four different levels: corporations, small businesses, independent designers and students, in order to provide a fair opportunity to each level.
We, at International Design Awards (IDA), are very excited to create an awards specifically for footwear design as we see a tremendous design potential within this field. I see a fast growing momentum of young footwear talents that truly deserve global recognitions. There are many great works that bridges art, footwear and technology together, which is extremely exciting.
– said Hossein Farmani, International Design Awards (IDA) president.
The Winners of the Global Footwear Award are:
Gold – Fashion Sneaker and Ethical Manufacturing- student category
Name: Chia-Yuan Ko
Project title: FTW_SYMT
Gold- Performance footwear- student category
Name: Phua Wei Qiang Frederick
Project title: City Glider – Next Gen Footwear
The Global Footwear awards also honors strategic thinking and innovative solutions to medical footwear, sustainability and social impact to inspire many more social responsibility projects to come.
Apart from enjoying the variety in creativity I was most happy to see that more and more designers start to think of footwear as an area to tackle socio-political issues and so plays a part in taking the discipline beyond only reproducing styles of fashion, and playing with technology, and engaging with real-life issues.
– Eelko Moorer, GFA Jury and LCF MA footwear course leader.
https://www.designscene.net/2021/04/global-footwear-awards.html
Global Footwear Awards First Annual Winners Announced
Los Angeles, CA –Farmani Group is launching The Global Footwear Design Awards (GFA) for the first time as a sister awards alongside IDA International Design Award. The GFA recognizes visionary design talent fromaround the world with an ambition to provide the highest recognition to footwear designers on all levels, from emerging designers to businesses and corporations. The GFA offers recognition in all footwear divisions, from Fashion to Sports, and at every stage of development, from design to the manufacturing process. The GFA winners were announced today.
“We, at International Design Awards (IDA), are very excited to create an awards specifically for footwear design as we see a tremendous design potential within this field. I see a fast growing momentum of young footwear talents that truly deserve global recognitions. There are many great works that bridges art, footwear and technology together, which is extremely exciting”, said Hossein Farmani, International Design Awards (IDA) president.
The GFA jury panel consists of leading industry professionals coming from different disciplines within the footwear industry, including publications, retailers, institutions and the footwear guru in the industry, providing an overall industry perspective towards the selection of the best design. Evaluating submissions from all over the globe, entries are evaluated at four different levels: corporations, small businesses, independent designers and students, in order to provide a fair opportunity to each level. Each design entry was evaluated by the professional GFA Jury panel on its own merit.
“The special part of the Global Footwear Awards is the way we evaluate designs, not by popularity, but through the lens of cross-disciplinary professionals, with a long experience within the footwear industry. The winning designs will truly make a mark and set examples of what true innovation and sustainability means in the footwear industry”, added Siramol On-Sri, GFA Project Manager.
The Global Footwear awards also honors strategic thinking and innovative solutions to medical footwear, sustainability and social impact to inspire many more social responsibility projects to come.
“Apart from enjoying the variety in creativity I was most happy to see that more and more designers start to think of footwear as an area to tackle socio-political issues and so plays a part in taking the discipline beyond only reproducing styles of fashion, and playing with technology, and engaging with real-life issues.” Eelko Moorer, GFA Jury and LCF MA footwear course leader.
Congratulations to all winners on their outstanding works!
Check out globalfootwearawards.com to view all winning projects.
You can now enter your submission for the 2nd Annual GFA via globalfootwearawards.com
About Farmani Group
Established in 1985, Farmani Group is responsible for many successful awards program around the globe, including the International Design Awards (IDA), Architecture Masterprize, DNA Paris Design Awards, London International Creative Awards, Prix de la Photographie in Paris, and the Annual Lucie Awards for Photography, which has emerged as one of the world’s most prestigious awards.
The newly created Global Footwear Awards recognizes the efforts of talented footwear designers around the world and aims to celebrate their exceptional creations at a global level, while honoring sustainable practices that will inspire the industry as a whole.
Contact:
Siramol On-Sri
+66962549624
team@globalfootwearawards.com
IG: globalfootwearawards
The Global Footwear Design Award (GFA) has announced the winners in the inaugural edition of its prestigious awards program. Honoring the most brilliant talents and outstanding global Footwear Designs, it sets the stage for GFA to take its place as a benchmark of design excellence across the industry. This announcement comes at an unprecedented and challenging time in history, where the Covid-19 pandemic is significantly impacting our lives. We hope everyone is staying safe.
With entries from all over the world, each project was anonymously peer-reviewed by the distinguished GFA jury panel comprised of international industry experts, rating each project according to their individual merits. The final winners were chosen based on the overall score of all the Jury votes. View the full Jury list here.
The jury panel has selected one ‘Best Footwear Design’ within each main category, given to the highest-rated project who will receive the handcrafted GFA trophy. Following this rating in descending order are; ‘Gold, Silver, Bronze Winners’ as well as ‘Honorable Mentions.’
A full list of this year’s winners is here.
GFA 2020 “Best Footwear Design” are awarded to the single best Footwear Design across the main categories:
Nate Jobe Jobe
Fashion Sneakers
Natural Selection – The Objectification of the Shoe
Liz Ciokajlo
Women’s Dress
Robert Clergerie
Women’s Casual
Junya Watanabe
Men’s Dress
Charaf Tajer
Men’s Casual
Yehuda Azoulay
Unisex Footwear
Fionn Corcoran-Tadd
Sports footwear
Helen Kirkum
Workwear
Daniel Bailey
Collaboration
Vrinda Gupta
Ethical Workforce
MgA. Zuzana Oharek Bahulova, Ph.D.
Medical shoes
Benjamin Thomas
Ethical Manufacturing
Hrvoje Boljar
Materials Sourcing
Each winner receives the coveted GFA Winners Seal to promote their award, a Winner’s Certificate, and a permanent profile on the GFA online Winner’s gallery. The Global Footwear Design Award has decided to postpone the Awards Ceremony due to the unfortunate Covid-19 situation until further notice.
The Global Footwear Design Award’s Founder, Hossein Farmani, commented, “Our esteemed jury members have worked hard to select the best projects. We are proud to present the Winners of our inaugural year, celebrating the creativity and talent of incredible design Footwear from around the world, giving them the global exposure they deserve.”
To learn more about GFA’s submission criteria and award structure, winner benefits, and more, click here. For any press enquiries, email team@globalfootwearawards
www.globalfootwearawards.com
Global Footwear Awards is proud to present beautiful handmade trophies. Standing 20 cm tall, made of black crystal and high-quality glass. These trophies will be awarded to the overall- designs in the following categories:
Art Footwear
Fashion: Pro
Fashion: Non-Pro
Sneakers: Pro
Sneakers: Non Pro
Sustainability: Pro
Sustainability: Non-Pro
Kids: Pro
Kids: Non Pro
Medical: Pro
Medical: Non-Pro
Performance Footwear: Pro
Performance Footwear: Non-Pro
Special Awards: Pro
Special Awards: Non-Pro
Also, trophies are presented to designers nominated by our jury panel in Sustainability, Social Impact, Innovation, and Lifetime Achievement in Footwear Design.
Celebrate Your Win! Purchase HERE
Global Footwear Awards is now accepting submissions, inviting all footwear designers to enter their outstanding design within the categories of performance, fashion, kids and sustainable footwear.
The Global footwear award recognizes the efforts of talented footwear designers around the World and aims to celebrate their exceptional creations at a global scale, while honoring sustainable practices that will inspire the industry as a whole.
The Global Footwear Awards acknowledges the best in the industry, addressing creativity, innovation, sustainability and social impact.
GFA’s ambition is to provide the highest recognition to footwear designers on all levels, from emerging designers to businesses and corporations. The award offers global visibility to designers, providing greater opportunities in the footwear business and beyond. The GFA also provides an international platform, generating a network of leading professionals in the support of moving the industry forward.
Furthermore, GFA honors strategic thinking and innovative solutions to sustainability and social impact, from design to manufacturing and beyond.
Meet our esteemed Jury panel here.
The Jury will collectively select the winners within the three entry categories and reward them in the descending order;
Each Winner receives:
• Winners Seal – to promote their Award online and in print.
• Winners Certificate
• Complimentary Invitation to the Awards ceremony.
• A permanent online profile on the winners’ page
Furthermore, the GFA JURY AWARDS, Best Overall Footwear Brand, Best Developed Footwear Innovation, Best Footwear Industry Leader of the Year, Best Inspiring Footwear Project for Change, Best Footwear Brand in Asia, UK/Europe, America, Africa and Down Under.
Also, Best Performance, Fashion Footwear under $100, Best Footwear Accessories and Best Footwear Customization.
The early-bird deadline for submissions is September 15th, 2020
Entries submitted by this date are eligible for a 10% discount on submission fees.