Sneakered by Gianluca Gimini

Style for Kicks

Products come and products go, but what is the best way to preserve the beloved but outdated brands and products of yester-year?  Italian graphic designer Gianluca Gimini's  answer is ingenious.  Why not introduce these knackered brands to a new generation by combining them with a very modern obsession - the humble sneaker?

The end result is a series of beautifully crafted images which shows how some iconic sneakers would look like if they were morphed with selected iconic Italian household products.  Heard of the Cynar artichoke-based digestive liquor?  Perhaps you would recognise the distinctive artichoke design in the sneaker.  Other favourites include the Sapori panforte sweet, which has been magically transformed into a sneaker with a distinctly nutty sole and the Pino Silvestre shampoo with its pine-cone design.

Sadly these are all design visualisations and are therefore not heading towards your local shoe shop any time soon, but Nike and co should definitely take note.

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Product Inspiration

Unexpected combinations, whether in form, colour or function, make for excellent design talking points.  We love the airplane trolley storage units from Bordbar, the jellyfish-like Meduse side table from Casamania and the baseball glove-like Fjord armchair from Moroso.

For quirky and slightly surreal lighting try the Moto wall light from Moustache, the Twee T suspension light from Casamania and the merged shades of the Lampscapes suspension light from Frederik Roije.

Add some fun and visual interest with funky accessories such as the Hang On wall hanger from Normann Copenhagen, the concrete Pipeline stem vase from Lyon Beton and the Here (Thimble) ice bucket from Ghidini 1961.