CASE STUDY : Footwear Redesign

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The *NEW* Kearney Kick Mid, redesigned for Fall / Winter 2014

The Kearney Kick series is one of the RYZ's signature styles named after well-known Portland city streets. With a more casual "sneaker" look - appropriate for Spring and Summer, the series didn't quite fit in with the rest of the Fall Collection as we transitioned to the colder seasons. It seemed boxy, cumbersome and a little too clunky for the more refined fall and winter patterns and textures. The Kearney Kick "High" - a high-top, boot-style version of the shoe, just didn't seem quite sleek or finished enough to even make the Spring/Summer 2014 cut.

We wanted to keep the basic silhouette, as it offered a clean and simple alternative to other more "dressy" and classic RYZ styles, but freshen it up and add a more elegant twist for the Fall 2014 Collection. Also included in the comprehensive redesign are all-new colorways & materials, novel for both the series and for the RYZ brand, to reflect a sophisticated, yet practical & warm direction for the coming winter months.

The Kearney Kick Series as seen in the Spring / Summer 2014 Catalog

Kearney Kick Low (before)

The white fabric taping and the bulbous toe box on the low version of the Kearney Kick lended a bit of a juvenile look - hearkening back to a grade school feel, but aside from that, the upper of the shoe had a great deal of potential, and was relatively well designed. It seemed like an easy fix to work with what we had, and simply make some minor changes. In contrast, the outsole needed a complete overhaul. It was rather shapeless - even for a sneaker outsole - and needed an element of refinement to make it really flow with the upper, and with the rest of the Fall / Winter Collection.

Kearney Kick Mid (before)

The mid version of the Kearney Kick is probably the most well-designed silhouette in the series. The upper has classic Chukka Boot styling and features, but the large, shapeless outsole was something of a mismatch. A new outsole would take this shoe from clunky to sophisticated without any other changes.

Kearney Kick High (before)

The high version of this style was the toughest call to make. After being excluded from the Summer collection due to it's bulky outsole and the fact that it looked like a rain boot, this silhouette needed a little bit of TLC to make it really work in a sophisticated Fall line. The shaft opening needed to be tapered a bit for a more streamlined look that would fit well under a pant leg, and a sleeker outsole would help to minimize the boxiness of the shoe.

Kearney Kick Low (after)

The Kearney Kick Low redesign first added the cleaner, sleeker outsole featured on the Fremont Five styles - still very lightweight and runnable, but a little less square and boxy. Removing the white fabric taping and instead using the simple stitching featured on the mid and high versions gave this shoe more of a classic "dress shoe" look, and less of a sneaker sensibility. Losing the extra row of stitching along the eyelets and keeping the upper design closer to the mid version helped to minimize detailing and separate this low shoe from more classically-influenced RYZ shoes, like the Fremont Five. A lower profile toe and the addition of a cleaner leather vamp also helped to give the revised Kearney Kick Low a more stylized and grown-up silhouette. Adding fall materials such as wool and warm, rich leather took this version to the next level as a sophisticated, but still casual, take on the dress shoe.

Kearney Kick Mid (after)

The Kearney Kick Mid was already very close to perfect - all it needed was the addition of the new outsole, some added room to the toe-box, and the addition of the new Fall materials (cozy wool and a rich, but distressed leather completed the look with a beautifully textured desert boot appeal). The sleeker outsole and the chunky tread completely changed the vibe, and the updated Chukka Boot look is very current and on-trend with popular Fall footwear designs - sophisticated enough to wear with a nice pair of slacks, but rugged enough to rock on the weekend with your favorite pair of jeans.

Kearney Kick High (after)

Despite the bulky appearance of the original Kearney Kick High, like the mid version, the High only needed a new outsole and a slight tapering of the boot shaft opening to make it fit well with the remainder of the Fall line. Losing the boxy sneaker outsole and adding the lightweight but chunky Fremont Five sole with welt added a more streamlined and utilitarian boot quality, and the narrowing of the boot's shaft opening eliminated the previous "rainboot" look. Now much more well-proportioned and far sleeker, the new Kearney Kick High slips discreetly under any pair of slacks, and transitions perfectly into a more casual fall environment as the go-to pair of boots to sport with that favorite pair of dark Levis.