dailymission redux: DMers design (stellar) shoes

Last week, Nike launched a new shoe. From New York to Florida to Maryland and beyond, sole-less earthlings invaded shopping malls across the nation.

Brushing past police braced in riot gear, these frenzied folks were on a singular mission: Grab the Galaxy (basketball shoe).

Jumping Jupiter.

The stellar kicks are apparently so out-of-this-world that even Nike itself doesn’t mention the supra natural things on its company site.  (Check it out for yourself. Search for ‘Galaxy’ over at Nike.com and see if you have better luck than I did.)

What on earth is going on?

Well, we here at dailymile prepped and drilled for this day.

We’re not going to let anyone dribble or jump or walk or hike or run on our planet without some super-charged boosters on their fleet feet. We’re a resourceful bunch.

We can design our own blasted wing-tipped runners!

Last week, a dailymission question asked you to design a shoe. You took on that mission. And you didn’t fail us. You aimed for the exosphere, DMers, and your designs soared. Be it known throughout the land: Your efforts will keep Earth (literally) running. (You didn’t know you were ramming the opening shot in an intergalactic rocket boots race, did you?)

Jocelyn A., punted it out of Gaia’s orbit but kept it ladylike and neighborly.

“I did a quick sketch before taking off running and went with Mercury’s style,” the cosmically-cool athlete and artist said. “It’s classic! The wings on the winged foot often look too small to me, so I went big. Plus I have a thing for feathers.”

Becca and Biddi Grenade kept it simple, but pretty profound:

“This is ‘The Bear Foot.’ The most minimal shoe you will ever find, the ultimate in the shoe-less running movement,” Becca explained. “Good-bye to black toenails forever! Found in a variety of colors such as black, white, yellow or brown.”

Meanwhile, Biddi Grenade’s design features treads made of Reiki symbols “so that each step is full of energy!” These are some earth-friendly pedal pushers. Uppers are made of organically-dyed baby alpaca fur. Bottoms? They get their juice from 80′s recycled Styrofoam fast food containers reclaimed from landfills.

Into understated ….elegance? John’s your designer.

If color’s your thing, dailymilers have fashioned some buzzing beauties for you:

Mike, ever the consummate businessman, hover-crafted snazzy slip-ons for both men and women. (Interested parties from Saucony, Mizuno or Skeechers, please click on designer’s link above to begin manufacturing rights negotiations. Good luck, Mike!)

On what inspired his super-jet slickers, Jeremy says, “I’m calling these the J’s. A minimalist shoe with velcro straps cause shoelaces suck haha.” Jenifer’s got features, too. Especially “speakers on the side and mesh on top for hot days!”

Triathlete? Rene’s got you covered heel-to-toe in high flipp(er)in’ technology.

Too tepid for your tastes? Let’s jump the shark with Steve’s little Power(Point) pushers:

And who wouldn’t want a pair of either of these provocative peddlers?

“My new running shoe design will change the way you dominate the road,” writes Kevin. “My shoe features the latest in Dick-Weasel Elimination Technology (or DWET) which searches out people walking on the left or not watching where they’re going and deals with them,” says Bill. “It also comes with nifty neon soles to impress the ladies.”

Hey, just don’t shoot the delivery boy! (Are those pizza sauce streaks on there?)

Speaking of pizza, nothing washes it down quite like beer, the perfect segue way to this fun and functional pair. “My ideal shoes,” says Tim, “would be rocket powered hovercrafts that do the running for me while I get blackout drunk.”

Kids, don’t try that at home. Other shoe ideas:

• “All I can think about is the everlasting gum from Willa Wonka with a mix of Back to the Future,” said Chad. “This shoe would last forever like the gum, some cool retro sh*% like the hover-board going on. Less injuries and tons of miles…”
• “Make’m dirt colored (because that’s what they end up anyways),” by Willem.
• Rita: “I love gekkos (my online alter-ego is ArtGekko) and the color green. So my shoe would be green with gekkos all over it and the tread would be engineered to allow me to walk up walls/rocks/trails the way a gekko does! Matching gloves (for the ultimate climbing experience) optional.”
• Derek (and a few others) had only one thing to say: “Pffft shoes!“
• “Red with blue racing stripes,” was Allison’s vision. “Not too much heel, but not minimal either. Bungee laces so I don’t have to tie them. Not too narrow in the front, but not big either.”
• Nora simply wrote, “I failed Art. And Poetry.” (Which, to me at least, was ironically the most artsy and poetic reply of the bunch.)
• Timmaay, how’s that duct taped cardboard design coming? [wink]

Thanks for participating in all of our dailymissions, DMers. Day-in, day-out, your shared energy, creativity, humor and spirit have given our community much to ponder, act on, celebrate… and laugh out loud about.

Did you miss adding your design idea last week? Add it today — here or on your wall. Just drop a link back to it below so we can all revel in your planetary wisdom and wit.

Till next time, keep those dailymission comments coming!