Could it be that in a virtual reality, special effects will make digital footwear obsolete?
If you think about it, the amount of space that physical footwear can cover your body is limited to a relatively small part for a series practical reasons. Firstly it should be easy and quick to put on and take off, second it should remain light and third relatively inexpensive.
However in a virtual world without those limitations and where “form will not need to follow function”, digital footwear and clothes will easily be merged into a single aesthetic expression. For example since digital footwear will no longer need to be designed within physical parameters, it will no longer need to have a sole, or a collar which could mean that it will transition into a digital expression of bodywear, or even a body without clothes. The question is what kind of body? A human body, or something more abstract and novel? We will be able to design such interesting and bold Avatars, that footwear design may not stand out as much as it does today under a plain pair of jeans, or training pants.
Here is an interesting animation from a few years ago by Adobe, which I think suggests well some of the diversity of Avatars that could exist in the Metaverse.
It will be interesting how footwear, or sports equipment companies make the transition in VR should footwear aesthetic become less interesting and relevant? And will they need to compete with video game companies and the film industry as well as each other? Will some digital footwear designers transition to character design and how crowded will the designer pool become?
Below are some interesting examples of how I think people/avatars could look in the Metaverse by Universal Everything and notice how none include footwear.
Think about it, why will we need digital clothes, or shoes in a world where we can look like anything, from a dragon to a pile of moving rocks? Where our Avatar will be our clothes.
It may be that eventually people will prefer to appear clothes-less (or naked), since a clothes will have no practical purpose and their aesthetic could appear quite old fashioned, maybe even holding people back from advancing in their journey towards their digital self-realisation, or more intense sensations. Who has seen the Black Mirror episode of “Striking Vipers” and how relevant will athletic footwear design be in such a world?
Of course it could also be that in VR, like mainstream physical fashion, that people will generally continue to prefer more relatable and familiar forms of aesthetic and personal expression instead, like retro sneakers for example, maybe oversized just to be a little different (same, same, but different :))).
Another factor will probably be poly count and maybe some platforms will allow more more detailed designs for more advanced, complex, or bigger aesthetics.
Nonetheless below are some more, interesting early and/or far fetched examples of how I think Avatars could look in the Metaverse by Universal Everything from 2011 to 2020…and notice how none include footwear 🙂
74 FOOTWEAR DESIGN CONSULTING 