BMW’s GINA Light Visionary Model, a concept car unveiled in 2008, has inspired a new shoe.
Unlike the concept vehicle, the shoe will be available for purchase in the presented form. It is called X-CAT Disc, and Puma makes it, but it was drawn by Designworks, a subsidiary of BMW.
The new shoe not just mimics the color of the GINA concept car, but also its body material, as well as the DISC technology. The latter allows the user to open or close the shoe by rotating the disc on top of it, enabling the shoe to wrap around the wearer’s foot.
Naturally, the sports shoe from Puma does not feature the exact same material used by the BMW GINA concept vehicle, as it was not suitable for wearables.
Puma had to re-engineer the fabric to allow it to be breathable and durable to meet the needs of customers. The shoe is decorated with laser-cut perforations to add ventilation and underline the impression of motion.
The black and white sole of the new Puma shoe has also been redesigned, and its makers claim it now provides more precision. The design was inspired by interconnecting gears, and is meant to integrate flexibility and stability in a functional component.
Unlike other shoes made by Puma in cooperation with BMW, the X-CAT does not feature the German company’s logo in its conventional format. Instead, you can observe the BMW roundel on the disc that is used to replace shoelaces.
However, the badge does not feature the traditional white and blue color combination. Another BMW logo is found on the sole of the shoe, next to the Puma logo. The second one is located in the interior of each shoe sole, etched with lasers for a discreet look. Well, as sensible as one can pull it off with shiny silver sneakers.
Selected Puma stores across the world will have the BMW X-CAT DISC shoe available for purchase starting 1 July 2016. Its price is probably market-dependent, and has not been announced.
The new shoe not just mimics the color of the GINA concept car, but also its body material, as well as the DISC technology. The latter allows the user to open or close the shoe by rotating the disc on top of it, enabling the shoe to wrap around the wearer’s foot.
Naturally, the sports shoe from Puma does not feature the exact same material used by the BMW GINA concept vehicle, as it was not suitable for wearables.
Puma had to re-engineer the fabric to allow it to be breathable and durable to meet the needs of customers. The shoe is decorated with laser-cut perforations to add ventilation and underline the impression of motion.
The black and white sole of the new Puma shoe has also been redesigned, and its makers claim it now provides more precision. The design was inspired by interconnecting gears, and is meant to integrate flexibility and stability in a functional component.
Unlike other shoes made by Puma in cooperation with BMW, the X-CAT does not feature the German company’s logo in its conventional format. Instead, you can observe the BMW roundel on the disc that is used to replace shoelaces.
However, the badge does not feature the traditional white and blue color combination. Another BMW logo is found on the sole of the shoe, next to the Puma logo. The second one is located in the interior of each shoe sole, etched with lasers for a discreet look. Well, as sensible as one can pull it off with shiny silver sneakers.
Selected Puma stores across the world will have the BMW X-CAT DISC shoe available for purchase starting 1 July 2016. Its price is probably market-dependent, and has not been announced.