I was tapped by Rapid Skateboarding to design a Chuck Taylor All Star low in collaboration with Converse that reflects details of the Ventura County 805 skateboard and hardcore punk communities. Released in a small, locally focused run through select skate shops in the 805 area.

I designed the shoe with understated branding that uses a stylized “All Star” pulled from the Rapid Skateboarding logo. For outlying creative elements, I worked in several Easter eggs into the shoe that Ventura County locals would appreciate to find. The medial of the left shoe features a Mark Gonzales style hand-written “Eight Zero Five”, the county’s zip code and a symbol of local pride. The outsole of the right shoe has a bold “VCHC” that stands for “Ventura County Hardcore”, the local name of the area’s hardcore punk community.

My favorite detail is hidden on the insole: an illustration that transforms Ventura County’s coastal stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway into an anatomical vein. The highway flows like a central artery from heel to toe, with smaller branching veins marking the major cities along the route, reinforcing the idea of the highway as the lifeline connecting Ventura County’s communities

Role: Art Direction, Illustration, Product Design

Creative Director: Dustin Snyder
Video: Danny Dogpound
Photography: Sean Stout