TŪRANGAWAEWAE
- JESS Y-
This shoe design is called tŪrangawaewae. It is a cultural concept for the inline market to represent Aotearoa on an international platform.
The Māori word 'TŪrangawaewae' means 'having a place to stand' and is a crucial concept within Māori culture as it speaks of one's place and belonging within the world.
Being of Māori descent, I wanted to create a shoe design that envisages how Māori and Pacific culture can be acknowledged and celebrated on an international stage. Whilst this design serves as one example, it is intended that the shoe can be customized to the individual, so anyone can represent their unique culture.
THE LATTICE MESH IS LIQUID PRINTED FOR FLEXIBILITY AND LIGHTWEIGHT TO GIVE EXTRA SUPPORT TO UPPER AND MID SOLE. THE PRINTED MATERIAL WILL BE OF RESIN FOR DURABLE, RESPONSIVENESS AND FLEXIBILITY AROUND THE FOOTS MOVEMENT. THE LATTICE MESH IS REPRESENTATIVE OF FLORAL AND TRIANGULATION PATTERNS FOUND IN PACIFIC CULTURE.
THIS SHOE HAS A TOGGLE CLIP LACING SYSTEM. THE TOGGLE CLIP IS USED TO TIGHTEN AND LOCK THE LACE SYSTEM. THE DESIGN IS REPRESENTATIVE OF Māori carvings. DETAILS of Whakairo designs of own personal iwi (tribe) of Ngati Tukorehe ARE ENGRAVED ON THE TOGGLE, REPRESENTING PACIFIC CULTURE THROUGH TRADITIONAL MOTIF PATTERNS.
By utilising digital programmes to aid this design, this concept experiments with how digital tools can help progress the future of Māori culture.
