Pitching their 3D concepts to lead designers at adidas’ headquarters in Germany has been a degree highlight for eight De Montfort University (DMU) Leicester students.
The Footwear Design students, now in their final-year, were handpicked by adidas following a live project in collaboration with industry-leading 3D design platform Gravity Sketch.
The group at adidas HQ
An initial 25 students were set a two-month challenge of reinterpreting a shoe design from the adidas Originals archive, using Gravity Sketch to develop the 3D skills sought by industry.
The group was tasked with creating six designs, each considering current trends and proportions, with their final idea 3D modelled and ready for an augmented reality (AR) presentation.
Students received a Meta Quest 3 VR headset on loan from Gravity Sketch for the duration of the project, which the eight finalists have been gifted, and in-depth sessions to master the platform.
They also had regular feedback from their adidas mentors, including DMU Footwear Design graduates Edina McClelland, Senior Colour and Material Designer, and Dimitri Gabellier, Footwear Product Designer.
The eight finalists selected to present their work at the adidas headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany also toured the vast sports facilities on the adidas campus, had the rare chance to explore the company archive and learned valuable insights from the marketing team.
Skye Wicks
Overall project winner Skye Wicks impressed the adidas Originals team with her designs based on the Trediac. The 22-year-old from Essex said: “When I started the project, I honestly thought there was no chance I’d get through, so being chosen to fly over was another level.
“I was given a really cool archive book and got to explore their campus. People say it’s an incredible place but you need to see it to believe it – it’s like a massive parallel world.”
Keen to embrace a challenge and passionate about design research, Skye stretched herself for the project and took advantage of the expertise available to her.
“The Trediac is quite a complicated design with asymmetrical details, but I like to take a bit of a risk with new projects,” she said. “I tend to focus on colours and materials a lot when designing, so having Edina to look up to and speak to was brilliant.
“I was inspired to see that she did the same degree as me and where she is in her career now. It’s given me confidence about what I can achieve.
“My Gravity Sketch trainer helped me massively too, teaching me things I won’t forget. Doing things in VR is much quicker for me and helps me to better focus. Getting to keep the headset means I can now use it for my current and future projects.”
Zak Lawrence
Reimagining the adidas Orginals Arooga lifestyle shoe into a climbing shoe secured student Zak Lawrence a place in the finals too.
The 21-year-old from Worthing said: “Getting feedback on our designs from the experts at adidas, and hearing how close we were to designing something they would release, was amazing.”
Having also worked on unforgettable live projects with Jimmy Choo and Doc Martens, Zak describes his experience with adidas as being “top of the board”.
“The highlight was learning to use Gravity Sketch,” he said. “I’m still using it now and developing my skills during my final year. It’s how companies will model and render in the near future, and it will give me an edge over other graduates when applying for jobs.
“I’m so grateful to DMU for this opportunity – it’s been such a great thing to be a part of.”
Heidi Walmsley
Giving the adidas Originals Megabounce a runway makeover landed Heidi Walmsley in the finals too. The 22-year-old from Lancashire said: “The whole project was a unique experience and being chosen to go the adidas headquarters was the best surprise - I didn’t expect it at all.
“I went with a futuristic theme for my designs and had fun creating sliders and heels to give the brand a new perspective. Getting individual feedback on our work from the experts at adidas was really helpful.”
At the start of the project, Heidi had never used Gravity Sketch before. “The intensive bootcamp and regular meetings with a mentor were really valuable,” she said.
“I’ll definitely continue to use it in my projects as it allows you to see your designs from all angles as a 3D model. I’m even considering 3D-printing parts of my current designs now.”
Arjya Bjattacharya
One of the benefits of this project was that students were also able to present their work remotely, enabling finalist Arjya Bhattacharya to showcase his work virtually via an online presentation room.
Arjya earned a spot in the finals thanks to his innovative boxing shoe, inspired by one of his sporting heroes, Muhammad Ali. Arjya’s design incorporates a looping boa lacing system and recycled aluminium, for a clean look and ankle stability.
The 22-year-old from India said: “I’m obsessed with combat sports and I’ve wanted to design something more performance-based for a while, so I’m really happy the quality of my work impressed everyone.
“Learning to use Gravity Sketch was amazing and one of the things adidas told us is that companies like them are looking for graduates with good 3D skills – that’s just where the industry is headed. The whole project gave me more confidence and helped me overall as a designer.”
Nanette Westberg-Brown, programme leader for Footwear Design at DMU, said: “We are thrilled with the outcome of this project. Our students have cultivated innovative 3D skills that they will carry forward into their future careers.
“Thank you to Gravity Sketch and adidas Originals for their ongoing support throughout.”
Posted on Friday 10 January 2025