While sketching during a break in a meeting, I came up with an idea for a unique supplemental quick-release closure system for a basketball shoe project. The concept was a method of piecing the upper so the user could remove the shoe quickly while maintaining a traditional lacing system for more on-court stability.

The design features an elongated overlay flap on the lateral quarter panel with the latching component built into the end. This flap overlays the heel portion of the shoe and engages with a pair of posts that secure it shut with a sliding thumb latch.

Since this was a proactive project internally, I mocked up the concept using masking tape on an existing basketball shoe with a similar profile to communicate the idea to marketing. The mockup and the rendering generated enough excitement from marketing to get the design added to the seasonal line and develop the concept in full.