Outsole/sole unit design has always been fun for me. I have always been amazed by the process and how complicated it is to make a sole unit. What I love about footwear design is the instant gratification. From the upper sketch to pullover, from corrected blueprint to wooden model, within a week you have something tangible. I have visited many outsole factories over the course of my career and the fun part has always been challenging our China team and working with them. It is always a great feeling when the technician walks into the design room with a new wooden model, now it's time to break out the blueprints and finesse this bad boy. Sitting down with the technicians going back and forth modifying the blueprint and advancing it to the next model is always fun. They always say, "Michael we can not do that" and I say, "let's try, there has to be a way." When it comes to outsoles there are so many processes, compounds, materials, and with developing technology, anything is possible.
