Shoes have become more than just footwear– they’re now status symbols.

And branding for new kicks ready to hit the stores is sure to reflect this. But the days of having a simple shoe in front of a back drop are long gone.

This $17.5 billion dollar industry is a juggernaut with stiff competition vying to be the next hottest product.

It’s a difficult business but graphic designers who want to flex their creativity, stand out, and work with a fresh product are sure to find success.

Even artistic powerhouses like Kanye West are developing new shoe designs that need a great ad to attract people’s eyes.

Here are three tips that will set you on your way to make an interesting and unique shoe ad for print.

1. Appeal to the Personality

Shoes make statements. Their look, character, and personality vary with the brand, design, and purpose.

To start your design you’re going to need to get to know the personality behind the shoe.

• Is it a sleek basketball sneaker meant to push sports and fitness?
• Is it a pair of snow boots that need to promote comfort, style, and warmth?
• Is it a pair of hiking boots that signal adventure, endurance, and ruggedness?

Get to know these aspects of the shoe and you can begin designing a campaign around them to produce the desired effect for the consumers.

Specifically ask these questions to your client so you can both understand their expectations and what they think the shoe ad should say.

2. Know Your Audience

Now that you know the personality behind the shoe, it’s important to understand the desired audience for the ad.

• Are you trying to appeal to high school kids trying to impress their friends?
• Do you want to attract modern hipsters concerned with sustainability and a unique look?
• Are you trying to catch the eye of the fitness guru whose always on the move?

People are very different and what might work for one demographic won’t work for another.

If you’re designing something that should appeal to women concerned with smaller size shoes— that won’t be the same ad you want to use for a male soccer player.

That may seem evident but defining the audience will do a lot for your shoe ad.

3. Make Your Shoe Ad Jump Out of the Shoebox

As stated above, a simple shoe in front of a black back-drop won’t appeal to a lot of people.

They are looking for a lot more. Shoe branding goes to extensive lengths to create specific designs that call upon all kinds of aspects of life.

Your branding campaign must reflect this. Get creative and utilize graphic design program staples like Photoshop to add interesting elements that will highlight the uniqueness of the shoe.

Since you understand the personality of the shoe and the audience you want to appeal to, you should better understand the message behind the ad.

Link that message with the design around the shoe to craft something eye-catching and individual.

Zip It Up

With these three elements, you can start to design a truly unique shoe ad. Remember that using core-design elements and some creative thinking will help you craft something that will surprise people.

There is real variety in each ad, so incorporate visual art techniques which will draw people’s eyes and tell them that this shoe is something special.

With your skill, those brand new kicks will fly off the shelf.