Shoe collections for this year's spring season drew heavy influence from the glamour and opulence of 1950s hot wheels. Oozing sex appeal and status for men and women alike, the legendary chrome-finned Chevrolet Bel Air inspired summer clothing and footwear collections in Italy and elsewhere.
Even not-so-fashionable yet practical shoe categories draw design inspiration from automotive technologies. After spending years studying people's relationship with footwear, Italian writer and shoe design analyst Andrea Silvuni believes you can learn a lot about a person's character from the shoes on their feet and their choice of wheels.
“In the same way Chevy Bel Air’s stood for luxury and power and showed you were doing well, rocking your Italian designer heels will reveal your inner power and provide others a window into your personality,” Silvuni said. “No matter the type of shoe, there are always reasons behind that choice and how they convey who we are and what our mood is.”
Every shoe and car can provide a window into secrets of personality. Choice of color, style and other design details of cars and shoes can say a lot about a person.
Urban city cars, like the Chevrolet Spark, draw on inspiration of everything from open-toed flip flops to motorcycles and are driven by unconventional owners open to new experiences and adventures.
Striking design elements of ballet pumps can be found in Chevrolet's global small car – the Sonic – with an aggressive-looking front, compact taut side panels and a rising shoulder line, appealing to multiple markets from Europe to the United States and the Far East.
“Like cars, shoes share the design language that conveys aspects of a personality,” said Silvuni. “The sloping roofline, concave shoulder lines of a Chevrolet Cruze and a well-appointed wedge create a dynamic, sure-footed stance in the same way.”
With the explosion of the muscular multipurpose crossover vehicles, designers have adopted a bolder look with a low roofline and high sweeping waist, incorporating sportswear-inspired interior features to meet the exact demands of cross-trainers and adventure-pursuing families.
Chevrolet and Andrea Silvuni mapped the design language of car models and shoe types, reflecting a person's personality and characteristics: