COLE HAAN
ZERØGRAND
Eager to further our ongoing relationship with Cole Haan, we set out to create a film showcasing the evolution of their 4.ZERØGRAND Ultra. What came to be was a conceptual and experimental film celebrating the out of this world materials that go into each iconic Cole Haan shoe.
PRODUCTION | VISUAL EXPLORATION
Cloth
With a much more 3D design-heavy approach, we dove headfirst into research and design tests. This project was experimentation from start to finish — we followed each idea and let it evolve, regardless of whether it made the final cut. We wanted to make an abstracted process of some of the elements that make the shoe, and so we played with plastic polymers as grain simulations, and tweaked materials that pushed boundaries between physics and magic.
Strings
The cotton threads of the fabric is a key quality to the shoe; we wanted to show this stitch work in an explosive, never-before-seen injection of color. The smoke simulation drove the individual threads to create something quite unusual. In true exploration, we ‘followed the thread’ of a narrative in which the threads are part of the laces, but the flow didn't quite work. In the end, we stayed closer to this sim for longer.
Rock
We had a lot of fun developing the rock sequence, seeing how we can create microscopic polymer that lives in no gravity, and creating the smooth finish In front of our eyes.
Particles
We created a scene that births the shoe from the polymer particle. Tens of thousands of grains introduce our shoe throughout the film, creating an epic moment that really sets the tone.
