Wolf and Shepherd Sneaker Mule
Follow my sneaker mule design journey — where I applied real-time knowledge from my internship, integrated valuable feedback, and immersed myself in Wolf & Shepherd’s brand language and ethos to create a shoe that embodies their mission to equip consumers to win at life, whatever that may mean to them.
Leaning into the women’s side of the brand…
I wanted to look into where women get confidence, where that can be found, and how that can be translated into a shoe.
I believe: Confidence is feeling like yourself and being completely comfortable in that.
And that can exist through…
Expression. Individuality. Comfort. Simplicity. Luxury. Peace of Mind. Grounding.
Silhouette Inspiration…
Compiled a gallery of classic sneaker silhouettes that told the story I wanted.
Draws from indoor soccer, track, and motorsport — giving it the quality of being performance-informed without compromising style and fashion.
Holds a certain simplicity: everything serves its purpose, allowing each element to feel intentional.
Has a balanced proportion and clean lines, giving it a timeless quality.
…A design that is relevant now and will sustain its relevance through trends.
Color-way Considerations…
When envisioning the shoe, there were two distinct colorway directions that I felt would achieve what I wanted.
Neutral Tones: Confidence through calm, grounded elegance, and effortless ease.
Bold Solids: Confidence through channeling expression, energy, and individuality.
Material Considerations…
Considering the seasonal release of footwear, I wanted to think through materials for both the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer seasons.
For the Spring/Summer Season: Mesh, lightweight, breathable upper material.
Inspiration from an existing Wolf and Shepherd spacer mesh material (Crossover Runner Sport).
Concept 1: Coastal
This particular concept is rooted in a sense of lightness, with a feeling of fluidity and airiness, leading me to a coastal, oceanside inspiration.
All elements pull from that same inspiration, ensuring intentionality in its design.
Considerations:
Stitch and turn leather upper: material change and pattern depiction to add texture/interest, but avoids the loud clutter of stitch lines.
Spacer mesh as main upper material: light and breathable, and a nod to my inspiration of airiness and the relaxed, coastal ocean vibe that defines Concept 1.
Wave-inspired upper leather design.
Memory foam heel collar.
Outsole pattern inspired by ocean wave ripples, further encouraging a lightweight foot when wearing this design.
An all-white upper with baby blue internal lining, speaking to the original intent of maintaining a clean/crisp design while incorporating subtle, unexpected elements through intentional choices.
Understanding the Brand Identity…
The Primary Goal: Help consumers win at life, at everything that they set out to do.
How? Equipping consumers with confidence through wearing their product, and giving them confidence in how they show up in the world.
Upper Design Iterations…
Sketch and Illustrator iterations of the upper, isolated.
Exploring how I can incorporate the intentionally unexpected element.
Taking inspiration from soccer sneaker influences, the design incorporates a tongue fold-over, adding an individualistic element to the shoe.
Adding in a deboss W&S bolt logo to the tongue flap as a subtle, quiet nod to the brand.
Includes a memory foam collar to maintain the comfort integrity prioritized throughout the Wolf and Shepherd brand.
Understanding Market Trend…
Hybrids are trending — and it’s the market that Wolf and Shepherd exists in.
———
Designing a sneaker mule: combines the traditional mule with a classic sneaker shape, providing the perfect balance of fashion, comfort, and confidence.
Shoe Design Inspiration…
My Goal: Maintain the clean, minimal look of Wolf and Shepherd, while incorporating subtle elements that give the shoe a playful feel.
Compiled a gallery of shoes that achieved this clean, but whimsical design that I was looking for.
At first glance, they are all very clean, pretty minimal, doesn’t draw too much attention initially.
But each shoe has something that’s a bit unexpected, that makes the shoe whimsical/playful.
Material Considerations…
Considering the seasonal release of footwear, I wanted to think through materials for both the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer seasons.
For the Fall/Winter Season: A monotone, all-leather upper.
Clean, elevated look, with the interest lying in the upper design and the quality of the material.
Concept 2: Nature
This concept is based on the idea of grounding, with an emphasis on rejuvenation, which often occurs in nature.
All elements pull from that same inspiration, ensuring intentionality in its design.
Considerations:
Stitch and turn leather upper: material change & pattern representation to add interest/texture, but avoids the loud clutter of stitch lines.
Parachute upper: breathable material providing additional textural interest & speaking to a more nature-inspired material.
Memory foam heel collar.
Leather upper overlays: maintain the clean, premium feel of W&S products.
Perforations: Creates subtle pattern, further speaking to the breathability of the upper.
Outsole pattern inspired by leaf veins, to provide consumers with a feeling of grounding with each wear.
An all-white main upper with brown leather overlays and light green hits (woven flag & zig-zag stitch): a clean, high-end colorway, with added texture and subtle pops of color across the upper, evoking the inspiration of natural grounding.
Concept 3: Resort
This particular concept is anchored in a feeling of understated luxury, evoking relaxation and self-assured calm, drawing me into a resort sensibility defined by minimalism and quietly refined style.
All elements pull from that same inspiration, ensuring intentionality in its design.
Considerations:
Stitch and turn leather upper: material change and pattern depiction to add texture/interest, but avoids the loud clutter of stitch lines.
Full calf-skin leather upper: high-end quality material with a minimal look.
Memory foam heel collar.
Upper design: continuous movement throughout the shoe from toe to heel; perfs mirroring the quarter overlay.
Classic sneaker inspiration: classic t-toe design.
W&S Logo outsole with repeated border outline expanding to the outer edge, speaking to a calmness and ripples of water.
Two color variations: an all-white calfskin leather and an all-brown calfskin leather; maintains a clean, high-quality look, while letting the intentionally crafted upper design quietly stand out.
Creating the Tech Pack…
Thinking through lateral/medial/toe-down/bottom views, upper/tooling construction details, materials, and color.
Demonstrated ability to think through form while seamlessly translating between 2D and 3D perspectives.
Upper construction:
Tongue fold-over: stitch and turn, fold line, 1 mm offset between foam and stitch line, 2 mm foam layer between upper tongue material and lining.
Memory foam heel collar: stitch and turn, 1 mm offset between foam and stitch line, 2 mm memory foam layer between upper and collar overlay.
Tongue logo: tonal deboss logo
Upper design: stitch and turn, board lasted upper, perforations: 1 mm diameter, 5 mm spacing center to center, and zig-zag stitch.