To create this piece, I used Adobe Illustrator. I began by creating the outline of the shoe (see below) using the paintbrush tool. To keep all the lines smooth, I increased the fidelity of the tool to the maximum level. This helped create a smooth outline with no odd, jagged edges.
Once I finished with the outline, I brainstormed some different colour schemes. At first, I thought I should go for a grey and orange colour scheme but I ended up not liking how it turned out.
I thought I should go for a colour scheme people normally wouldn't go for. I then chose a dark blue and pale yellow. I coloured the whole shoe dark blue and then added pale yellow accents across the sock liner, tongue, logos and sole. This abnormal level of contrast helped the design pop out and therefore, "Hot Step: Navy" was created.
For my second colour scheme, I thought I should counteract the first design and go for a more conservative set of colours: dark grey and light purple. In addition, I also coloured the second design differently compared to the first. I decided to colour the whole midsole light purple and keep the upper of the shoe dark grey. I did however colour the lace hole and logos of the shoe purple to keep that colour consistent throughout the shoe. Hence, "Hot Step: Lavender" was created.
Initially, I wanted to just create an alternate colour scheme for the Nocta Hot Steps but to link it with my theme, I decided to also create some concept posters alongside my designs. I placed the shoe on the canvas and added a shadow at the front of the shoe. I did this by creating an oval with a black-to-clear gradient. To sell it a bit more, I added a gaussian blur to make it slightly more realistic. I then added a title and as a final touch, I placed the Nocta and Nike branding at the bottom of the canvas.
If I were to attempt this again, I would work on the actual shading and colouring to make it stand out even more. Additionally, I would also add the reflective aspects of the shoe. As a whole, however, I am happy with the results.