Nike Blazer Vortex

Nike, a global footwear and lifestyle brand, partnered with Howard University for a sneaker design and storytelling scholarship competition. Of the 100 applicants, they selected Jared Belfield as one of the 25 participants to compete in teams of five for this scholarship.

Jared, having a background in fashion and graphic design, took the lead role as designer in their team, the ELIT3S, creating their design, “Nike Blazer Vortex”. The central axis of the vortex connecting with the main Nike swoosh is symbolic for Nike’s past connecting with its present. The vortex of swooshes represents Nike's accomplishments through the years and how it has grown to the large company that it is today.

Below are images of the design process, from the mood board to various other designs considered in becoming the finished product. Starting off with a base Adobe Illustrator vector sketch of the Nike Blazer, Jared came up with multiple concepts, themes, and colorways for the sneaker design. Most of the the colors were picked from the 2022 Spring/ Summer Pantone color palette, and the gold was chosen to honor the 50 year anniversary of both Nike and the Nike Blazer. The cream sole color was implemented to honor the vintage nature of the shoe while keeping it modern and fresh.

When Jared designed this shoe, two main concepts were on their mind: creating a never before seen sneaker design and visually being able to tell a story through a creative design. That prompted Jared to research various ways to depict legacy through history, and they found a vortex the best way to tell that story. A time vortex contains so many memories and stories, and Jared felt that a Nike Vortex would best tell that story of Nike's golden history through time. Jared decided to combine the concept of the golden swoosh and the vortex, to make a golden Nike vortex. They felt that giving the shoe golden accessories, like the golden laces and "50th Anniversary" sole tag also helped honor the legacy of both the shoe and Nike.

Jared's team, The ELIT3S, won 1st place for this competition! Jared gained a lot from this entire experience and is grateful to have gone through this. Each team had under 54 hours to come up with a design, mood board, and visual advertisement for their submission, and Jared would have never imagined it possible until they completed this competition alongside their elite teammates.