Previously on "Lace Up: The
Ultimate Sneaker Challenge."
00:08
Your challenge for this week,
the Adidas Superstar.
00:14
Our concept
doesn't make sense to me.
00:20
D'Wayne:
How much was this accomplished
without Desmond?
00:22
Welcome, Anthony Anderson.
00:27
This could be
a piece of shit,
00:28
but the way they sold
that piece of shit to me,
00:30
- I bought it.
- And the freshest kicks
belong to...
00:32
- Bam!
- The Nu Black.
00:35
Swoozie:
Sneakers aren't just shoes.
00:39
They're a cultural phenomenon.
00:41
Andre:
Sneakers are just, like,
00:42
the sexiest girl
you've ever seen.
00:43
Swoozie:
And today,
they represent an industry
00:45
worth over $55 billion dollars
worldwide.
00:47
This my baby right here.
00:50
Swoozie:
Enter D'Wayne Edwards.
00:51
The former design director
at Air Jordan has created kicks
00:54
for Carmelo Anthony,
Derek Jeter,
00:57
and even Michael Jordan.
00:59
And now D'Wayne mentors
the next generation
01:01
of great sneaker designers
at Pensole,
01:03
the world's top
footwear design academy.
01:05
He's bringing together
12 aspiring shoe designers
01:07
from all over the globe
to compete for the opportunity
of a lifetime...
01:09
♪ Take everything,
leave 'em with nothing ♪
01:13
Swoozie:
...to create shoes for Adidas.
01:16
Each week,
four teams of three
01:18
will compete to come up
with one-of-a-kind kicks
01:21
inspired by
a celebrity guest.
01:23
- I'm digging it.
- I'm really impressed.
01:25
- You mastered it.
- They made a low-cut water UGG.
01:27
Oh, that's a bad idea.
01:30
Swoozie:
No eliminations,
but no one is safe.
01:32
Don't start melting down.
01:35
We have to send you home.
01:37
Swoozie:
After eight weeks,
01:39
the team of three with
the best body of work wins.
01:41
And the freshest kicks of
the competition belong to...
01:44
Swoozie:
The winning shoe
is being designed
01:51
for James Harden and Adidas.
01:53
My name is Swoozie,
YouTube creator
and sneakerhead.
01:56
I'll be your guide
on this wild journey.
01:59
♪ All I wanna do is see
my dreams come true ♪
02:01
♪ I believe it,
I receive it ♪
02:04
♪ I proceed
to get it crackin' ♪
02:05
This is the ultimate prize,
the ultimate opportunity.
02:07
- You have to be relentless.
- You got to be ready.
02:09
♪ Reaching for the stars,
we don't stop until we get it ♪
02:12
♪ I believe, I believe,
Mr. Kelly, I can fly ♪
02:14
Swoozie: This is "Lace Up: the
Ultimate Sneaker Challenge."
02:17
♪ Time to celebrate ♪
02:23
♪ Now put your glasses
in the sky ♪
02:24
♪ Then look me in the eye ♪
02:26
♪ Together we made it ♪
02:27
Coming in this week, we just
picked up the first win.
02:30
Confidence is 110 right now,
but there's definitely
some pressure
02:33
because you got the first one,
and every team is kind of
on your back.
02:36
Being at the bottom two,
I did a lot of thinking.
02:41
My inspiration
for coming to Pensole
02:44
was to provide a better life
for my daughter,
02:46
and to let her down would be,
like, very, very hard.
02:49
She got an award in school.
02:52
She had a really high score
on a test.
02:54
Rebecca:
Last week was terrible.
02:58
That was Desmond's idea,
03:02
and it just didn't work out.
03:03
I am looking forward
to the second week.
03:05
- Y'all ready to go?
- Yeah.
03:07
- How you guys doing?
- Great.
03:14
So, if I'm not mistaken,
03:16
Nu Black took the W.
last week, right?
03:18
- Yes.
- Vince, how do you feel, man?
03:20
- I feel real good.
- That's-- that's it?
03:22
Real good? We got a W.
03:24
I'm good!
We got this.
03:25
You guys didn't come out
too hot on the last one.
03:28
It's clear
what we have to fix,
03:31
and how we're gonna
go about doing that,
03:33
and so I'm excited to see
how this second week turns out.
03:34
Going into this week,
our team knows that
we have to step it up.
03:37
Our main thing is just really
making sure that
03:40
we are all united
in our storytelling.
03:43
You guys ready to meet your
03:45
celebrity this week?
03:47
This week's celebrity is
03:50
four-time Grammy award-winning
03:52
hip-hop artist, and he's
a high-key sneakerhead.
03:54
Please say hello to Macklemore.
03:58
How many sneakers
would you say
04:16
that you have right now?
04:18
Two hundred and eighteen.
04:19
That's a very
specific number, sir.
04:22
And what do you look for
particularly in a sneaker?
04:25
I look for traditional things.
04:27
Things that are gonna have
a lasting,
04:29
classic, timeless appeal
04:31
that we can look back
in 20 years and be like,
04:34
"That is what stood
the test of time."
04:36
Before we go
any further, teams,
04:38
I think we should
throw a little twist
04:39
into the mix,
and throw in
04:40
- some high-fashion.
- Michael: Okay.
04:42
This might--
this might be something dope.
04:44
We might be, you know,
04:46
designing something
crazy today.
04:47
Can I also introduce
04:49
supermodel Ashley Graham.
04:50
- Hello, Ashley.
- Hi, guys.
04:55
Ashley Graham is awesome.
04:59
Her whole motto is pledging
05:00
body image acceptance,
05:02
accepting what you have
and flaunting it.
05:03
So it's awesome to be doing
a project for the both of them.
05:05
All right, D'Wayne,
05:08
so why don't you just
catch them up real quick
05:09
on what they need to do
for this week?
05:11
All right,
this week's challenge
05:12
is to take a sneaker
and high heel,
05:14
and combine them to create
one brand new shoe.
05:17
is gonna include
a runway show
05:21
featuring two looks.
05:22
One street-style,
and one high-fashion.
05:24
So talk about your personal
style a little bit, Ashley.
05:27
Being a beautiful,
curvy woman,
05:30
I like to show off my shape.
05:32
I just think that
every woman's type of body
05:34
is so beautiful,
and she should be able
05:35
to show it off
in a way that she wants to.
05:37
Also, the higher the heel
the better.
05:39
I do not own one wedge.
05:43
I do not have cork shoes.
05:44
I think they
are cheap-looking.
05:46
Zaneta:
I like sneakers
more than heels.
05:49
Just in case the zombie
apocalypse ever happens,
05:51
I'd rather be running
in my sneakers
05:55
than trying to tip-toe
through heels, you know?
05:57
Do you have any personal
do's and don'ts
06:00
that you would like
for them to consider
06:02
as they're trying to properly
blend both of your two worlds?
06:04
If you try to get too complex
on the sneaker,
06:08
I think a heel's
gonna look like
06:10
So how do you mesh those two
worlds together?
06:13
It seems difficult in my head,
06:16
but I believe in you.
06:18
Excellent.
Ashley, Macklemore,
thanks, guys.
06:19
We'll see you in five days
at presentation.
06:22
- Awesome.
- Good luck, guys.
06:24
First step
is getting the sneaker.
06:27
- Yes.
- Head on to the front.
06:29
Swoozie:
Early sneakers like
the Converse All Star
06:31
and tennis and running shoes
were worn for function,
06:34
but the Nike Cortez,
Air Jordan, and the Superstar
06:37
helped bring fashion
to the footwear game.
06:40
Now high-fashion brands
and designers like Prada,
06:42
Gucci, Y-3, and Jeremy Scott
06:45
have taken the sneaker
to the next level,
06:47
and the possibilities
are endless.
06:48
What you see here
in these boxes
06:52
are four performance shoes.
06:54
Last week the focus was
more color and materials.
06:56
This week is color,
materials, and design.
06:59
The Nu Black,
since you won last week,
07:01
you get the opportunity
to choose first.
07:04
Pick any one you want.
07:06
- I like that.
- I like that.
07:17
- I like that.
- Nice!
07:19
Vince:
We got a really cool,
07:21
This seems to be
a much higher level
07:24
of competition this week.
07:26
The good thing is that
I'm extremely competitive.
07:27
- ( all laughing )
- Feel the energy.
07:32
Got to get that chi right.
07:34
- Interesting.
- Mm.
07:37
Analise:
Nestor picked out
07:41
this really beautiful Boost,
07:42
but it was very sleek,
it was sexy.
07:44
It kind of reminded me of
07:47
if Y-3 did, like,
more pure female designs.
07:49
I really like this.
07:55
The shoe that
we got was orange
07:59
and then kind of like this
burgundy look to it,
08:01
and it had these really cool
triangle patterns on it.
08:03
It was really beautiful,
08:06
so it's kind of like
a little koi for us.
08:08
We actually ended up getting
the Stella McCartney Boost,
08:16
so super excited because
that shoe is, like, beautiful.
08:19
There's gold,
it's a comfortable shoe,
08:23
like, we were really stoked
as a team.
08:26
All right, so as an advantage
for The Nu Black winning,
08:27
you have the opportunity
to choose
08:32
I knew it. I knew
it.
08:38
I think I'm gonna
take this guy.
08:39
The shoe that we picked
was cool at first,
08:48
but the shoe that we stole
from Nestor's team,
08:50
it just had a lot of cool stuff
to play with
08:52
as far as the zippers,
the material.
08:54
So the next step, guys,
is a big one.
08:56
We're gonna send you
out into the field,
08:59
and you're gonna go to
a women's store
and get some heels.
09:01
- Nice, nice.
- Ready?
09:04
- All: Yes
- Let's hit it.
09:05
This week we have a really
interesting challenge.
09:19
We're shopping
for women's high heels
09:22
and merging them together
with sneakers.
09:23
But Nestor
tends to overthink,
09:27
and we have a lot of options.
09:29
Good point.
Good point, my bro.
09:36
I like, personally,
a bit of a chunk.
09:38
It definitely makes it more
comfortable for walking around,
09:41
but it's not
as visually appealing.
09:43
Teams, 15 minutes left.
09:45
Are you feeling the styles?
09:54
Is that a problem or no?
09:55
I'm the male in this equation.
10:00
- Okay.
- And, uh--
10:02
I'm referring to my two
lovely ladies on my team.
10:03
- Right, right, right, right.
- But I do like them.
10:06
My job is brand manager.
10:07
So I am, in a sense, a leader.
10:09
I might even try these
on Rebecca.
10:11
These are
super comfortable.
10:13
But taking a heel
and using it with a sneaker,
10:14
even me saying it right now
sounds weird and confusing.
10:19
- Awesome. All right, my man.
- Thank you.
10:22
What is the name of this?
10:25
So this would be,
like, a skinny,
10:27
and that would be,
like, a fat one?
10:28
Talk to me, my man.
10:36
- You saw us steal the shoe.
- Why this one?
10:37
The lines in it
are kind of curvy,
kind of sexy.
10:39
It just has that high-fashion
feel to it already.
10:42
You're leaning more towards
this one right now?
10:45
- Yeah, we got to--
- Hmm.
10:47
Let's see if we can go
for two W's in a row.
10:49
- That's the plan, man.
- All right, guys.
10:51
Let's pack it up.
Head back to Pensole.
10:53
I feel like
we really lucked out
with our shoe.
10:58
There's a good base
in which we can build off of.
11:01
- Yeah.
- Extend some lines
as far as structure
11:03
and form, like,
in the back heels here.
11:06
Megan Ann: This week we are
presenting our story
as Perfect Imperfections.
11:09
It's really inspired by both
Ashley Graham and Macklemore,
11:12
and the way they're
able to take certain things
about their life
11:15
that some people may see
as imperfect,
11:18
and spinning in a way
that is positive.
11:20
I thought it'd be cool
to add that--
11:22
use this element
to inspire, like,
11:24
a heel piece
like this in the back.
11:25
Laurance:
The struggle with last week
11:28
was us not agreeing
on a concept or a story.
11:30
It was like we were all
in a different path,
11:33
so it's critical this week that
we work together as a team.
11:36
This is gonna look cool,
you guys.
11:39
Yeah, I see huge
opportunities here.
11:44
There's, um, sheer.
11:45
There's lots of nice options
for color blocking.
11:46
Vince:
The thing we've landed on
immediately is The Skin I'm In.
11:49
It's all about sort of taking
out the insecurities,
11:52
um, and exposing them
and being proud of them.
11:55
Maybe if we had
the platform in it
11:57
we could give the illusion
of a skinny heel.
11:59
We're blending both the street
and the high-end aspect,
12:01
where you have the street
as your foundation,
12:05
but we're adding a gaiter
which is gonna
transform the shoe
12:07
to being more elegant
and bougie if you want.
12:10
I'm gonna design, like,
a boot, but more stylish.
12:19
Wow, you guys already
cut that off?
12:25
Oh, that's a bad idea.
12:27
You know you're not getting
another shoe, right?
12:30
I would recommend, do not
manipulate your shoe.
12:33
You get one chance to cut it.
12:36
I wouldn't cut it now
like that team over there.
12:38
They don't know
if that's the right part
they should've cut.
12:39
Nestor, I'm learning things
get lost in translation,
12:44
between me and Nestor,
12:48
between D'Wayne and Nestor,
12:50
just between Nestor.
12:52
- Can't change it.
- No.
12:58
Desmond:
Ashley Graham and Macklemore,
13:00
they both, you know,
struggle with insecurities.
13:02
They both broke barriers.
13:05
You know, her being
the first plus-size model
13:07
to grace the cover
of "Sports Illustrated."
13:09
Him as an independent artist
having two number one records.
13:12
Telling the story of the shoe
is my responsibility,
13:15
and I feel that
I am doing a good job.
13:17
That's where I got to so far.
13:20
So how are you
delivering it then?
13:22
'Cause we need more
of a storytelling to it.
13:25
That's where, like,
I was, like, stuck at.
13:28
That's why I had to leave,
'cause I was, like,
13:30
at, uh, a mental block.
13:31
It's up to you
to drive materials
13:46
through our expertise.
13:48
So you have to learn
how to grow your bitch bone--
13:50
- What?
- Grow your bitch bone.
13:53
You have a certain amount
of vertebrae in your back.
13:56
- Okay.
- And 99% of those
are bitch bones.
13:58
So here's where
I'm going to scare you.
14:04
Most of the material that
are marked with a green tag,
14:06
Orange is if you use
this material,
14:12
I will rip the spine
off of your body.
14:14
That's exactly what it says.
14:18
So we're just going to
shut that shit down
14:21
early, early, early on.
14:23
Megan Ann:
I'll be completely honest,
in the early mornings
14:51
I am even less coordinated
than normal,
14:53
which is saying something.
14:54
If you ever need someone
as comic relief,
14:56
just watch how clumsy I am.
14:59
♪ New shoes,
new whip, new bag ♪
15:05
♪ Every time you see her
she's bad ♪
15:07
♪ Hair did, get money,
new purse ♪
15:11
♪ Yeah,
that girl go to work ♪
15:12
D'Wayne:
I want to see
where you guys are.
15:14
Okay, so we narrowed down
our main story points
15:16
that we thought were most
important from Ashley.
15:18
So we're celebrating flaws
and body positivity.
15:21
Perfect Imperfections
kind of ties in to a diamond,
15:23
kind of like a sexy flaw.
15:27
So the idea that she celebrates
15:28
beauty at every size.
15:30
Okay, um, design direction.
15:31
Taking the idea
of celebrating your body,
15:33
we figured that
we would try and reveal
15:35
as much of the foot
as possible.
15:38
The main focus we wanted
15:40
to take from the shoe
is that wire structure.
15:41
We're experimenting
with how we can implement that
in a unique way,
15:44
um, around the heel,
behind the shoe.
15:47
I would want to see more
exploration
15:50
on how you would do that,
15:52
but that's a good start.
15:53
We were watching
her interviews,
15:55
and she basically talked about
how she had to learn
15:57
to love her body
and accept it
15:59
for the flaws
and things like that.
16:01
So our concept is
The Skin I'm In.
16:03
We obviously love the shoe
a lot. We stole it.
16:05
But I said,
"What's one thing about
the shoe that you don't like?"
16:09
And, uh, we saw this.
16:13
Z was like,
"I'm not even gonna
include it."
16:15
So I was like, "Well,
maybe instead of hiding it,
16:17
we actually accentuate it,
16:20
and there's
a gaiter attachment.
16:21
It loops under, um,
this arch area
16:23
and becomes
more high-fashion.
16:25
D'Wayne:
Okay. I like that.
16:27
Seeing that she mentioned
to an interviewer
16:28
that she wanted
to be a Russian spy,
16:30
we came up with the concept
Kiss Of Death.
16:32
If she was a Bond girl,
she would be from Russia.
16:34
Her name would be Thundra,
and her weapon
16:37
would be The Kiss Of Death.
16:40
So what is she physically
doing now?
16:41
Kung Fu and combat.
16:43
So she needs to bounce
off the ground, okay.
16:45
What would you
do with this, Nes?
16:48
That shoe has to stay
on her foot.
16:53
That is not gonna help you.
16:57
I need you to solve problems.
17:01
Neither one of those work.
17:06
You're not solving problems.
17:08
You're thinking
about aesthetics.
17:09
So you guys are gonna have to
17:12
focus on the function
of what you need her to do.
17:13
We're building up the leg.
17:20
It's kind of giving that
superhero-esque feel to it,
17:22
and just-- it also
stabilizes the ankle.
17:25
We're working with making
17:42
one of these two parts
being able to come off.
17:44
You know, Superman,
he, like, changes into his
outfit real quick,
17:47
and he's like,
"I'm Superman now.
17:51
Not Clark Kent.
You wouldn't know!"
17:53
We're naming our shoe
Super Sexy Curvalicious.
17:55
We have a great story.
17:58
I'm excited about it.
17:59
There's superheroes involved,
18:00
and you can't go wrong
with superheroes.
18:02
So who came up
with the superhero part?
18:04
Whose idea was it
for her to be a superhero?
18:07
- Catalina.
- Desmond:
That's weird because
18:10
I helped with the story,
I helped with the name,
18:12
and even I helped
with the designs.
18:15
All right,
see you guys shortly.
18:17
Desmond:
I am having trouble
18:18
trusting my teammates.
18:19
because it was,
like, a team effort.
18:21
All right, teams, listen up.
18:32
Now it is time to pick some
outfits for the runway show.
18:34
You've got to get two looks.
18:37
One high-fashion,
inspired by Ashley Graham,
18:39
and one street wear
inspired by Macklemore.
18:42
Since Macklemore
is a guest judge,
18:45
I don't know if you guys know,
but he had, like, a hit song,
18:48
Guess where
we're shopping today?
18:52
- Thrift shop.
- At the thrift shop.
18:54
Pick your person
to come shopping,
18:56
and let's take a walk.
18:57
- Hand wave!
- They're accepting résumés
19:12
if you guys don't win
this challenge.
19:15
- Oh!
- ( laughing )
19:16
So this kind of ties in
19:22
a reflecting element,
a diamond element.
19:24
Um, I used the color.
19:26
As a brand designer,
my job
19:28
really comes down
to storytelling.
19:30
I need this black, leather
jacket right here. Yeah.
19:32
I have a background
working as a stylist.
19:34
I know how to kind of build
an image, build a story,
19:37
so I think that's really
where my strength comes.
19:39
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
19:43
A cool nineties feel to it.
19:50
I'm a guy.
I'm shopping for a girl.
19:52
I rarely go
to the thrift shop,
19:56
but little do they know
I'ma bust it out.
19:57
This is definitely
what I'm interested in.
19:59
You should add
the gold chain.
20:17
- Yeah, come here.
- Yeah.
20:18
- No.
- ( all laughing )
20:24
Damn, you look good.
20:31
You know, our entire
product depends on
20:35
the process
moving efficiently.
20:38
Analise:
But we still
don't have the design.
20:42
Everyone knows that
they need to be accountable
20:45
for the time that we spend.
20:47
I consider myself an artist.
20:54
So I'm going to design
20:55
a comic strip
of Ashley Graham.
20:58
If I were to read this,
21:00
I don't really know
where to look.
21:02
You do know--
there's different styles
of doing comic books.
21:04
Well, yeah, I know that.
21:08
I don't think the storyline
flows as well, though.
21:09
You're the only person
that said that.
21:12
I think that Rebecca
is a spoiled individual.
21:14
She seems to be, like,
complaining for the sake
of complaining.
21:17
There's so many boxes. Like,
your eyes get distracted.
21:20
Then when she don't get her way,
she likes to have a hissy fit.
21:24
D'Wayne:
What's the problem?
21:27
We're still having a problem
with Desmond.
21:29
Like, we've had to,
pretty much hand-hold him,
21:33
and it's just getting
to the point where
21:35
I don't want
to be brand manager.
21:37
She doesn't want
to be brand manager,
21:39
and we can't be
always the ones,
21:41
like, having to come up
with the stories.
21:42
Uh, what has he contributed
to the stories?
21:44
Facts, but he doesn't do
the value behind the facts.
21:51
And we can have a story,
and I know if, like,
21:53
if we put the time into it,
21:55
we could, like, definitely
21:57
create a solid story, like,
more than what we could have
21:59
just giving it to Desmond.
22:01
let me let
some stuff marinate.
22:06
♪ Let me hear you say ♪
22:11
♪ Pump to
the bump and grind ♪
22:13
♪ Let me hear you say ♪
22:14
♪ Pump to
the bump and grind ♪
22:16
D'Wayne:
Today they have to turn over
22:19
the necessary designs
to their shoemaker.
22:21
D'Wayne:
Nestor continues to struggle
22:41
with what he would want to do
22:43
versus what is right
for the consumer.
22:44
but you need to get over
that part.
22:52
If you can't take this,
22:54
you ain't cut out to be
in this industry, dude.
22:55
You got to think about
the shoe, dawg.
23:03
'Cause if not,
we gonna lose,
23:05
and I'm not losing this week.
23:07
Vince:
I'm being told we're
23:12
we're making it look too easy.
23:13
Somebody said that.
23:17
- Really?
- And I was, like,
23:18
- Andre: It's not--
- No.
23:19
Andre:
I think the best part
about our team
23:21
is that me, Vince, and Zaneta
23:23
kind of think
on the same wavelength.
23:24
The full design is finished,
and we're onto putting our
23:26
presentation together
at this point.
23:29
We follow directions.
23:31
- We listen closely.
- Yeah.
23:32
We're not emotionally
attached, too.
23:34
- Right.
- You know, like,
23:36
I don't know if they want to
outright say it,
23:37
but I think other groups,
they're getting
a little envious.
23:39
You know, there might be
a little side-eye going on.
23:42
D, let me talk to you
for a little bit.
23:55
- Okay.
- All right.
23:57
So I want to have
a conversation with you.
24:06
A real conversation with you,
all right?
24:09
- Okay.
- When we assemble the class,
24:10
it's very specific.
24:12
Someone for marketing,
someone for design,
24:14
and someone for CM.
24:16
If they're counting on you
to do something
24:17
and you can't deliver it,
24:20
then they got to do
all the work.
24:21
What I can see
from a design point of view,
24:23
you are more graphic inclined.
24:26
- Right.
- It's not on the brand
and marketing side.
24:29
And we need
that side to be strong.
24:32
I want to make sure
24:33
I put you in the best possible
position to succeed
24:35
and do what you need to do.
24:37
the trouble I have, though,
24:44
Ultimately, we do have to
send you home, dude.
24:49
And it's not
a direct reflection on you
as an individual.
24:52
I know it ain't the easiest
thing to swallow, but--
24:57
- I'll be fine, though.
- Of course you will.
24:59
D'Wayne:
We were specifically looking
25:04
for brand designers
with the ability to
25:06
create a vision,
and ultimately
25:10
paint that picture
into a story.
25:12
In the case of Desmond,
25:14
the fit just didn't work.
25:15
- Let me know.
- All right.
25:20
being far away
from my daughter
25:24
was a tough decision.
25:25
I do feel as though I wasn't
paired with the right team.
25:28
- Nestor Phan!
- Thank you, man.
25:30
Desmond:
Rebecca and Catalina,
25:33
they will probably struggle,
because communicating
25:35
and getting their message
across to the crowd
25:38
will be a tough challenge.
25:40
I don't have no regrets.
I wish them the best.
25:42
- Take it easy, bro.
- You, too.
25:45
♪ Look, it's a cold world ♪
25:52
♪ Better bring your coat ♪
25:54
♪ Your gun and your god ♪
25:55
♪ Better bring 'em both ♪
25:57
♪ Creatures in the dark ♪
25:58
♪ Looking for a host ♪
25:59
♪ Focus on the dying hope ♪
26:01
♪ Preying on the broke ♪
26:02
Rebecca:
I have one thing to do.
The sole.
26:31
It's like I'm just trying to get
this smooth transition into it
26:35
and sand it down,
but it's taking forever.
26:37
♪ Looking for a problem ♪
26:39
♪ You ain't never seen ♪
26:41
♪ Nothing like this ♪
26:42
Going into presentation,
26:43
we've yet to see
the physical product yet
26:45
because we're still doing
last-minute detailing.
26:47
I'm a little bit worried
26:50
about what the finished product
26:51
is gonna look like.
26:52
♪ Somebody like me ♪
26:53
♪ Like me, like me ♪
26:55
Zaneta:
It's really draining trying to
26:56
get these design lines to work.
26:58
Presentation's tomorrow.
27:00
We don't have
a lot of time left.
27:01
So it's down to the wire.
27:02
I am mentally exhausted.
27:03
♪ Looking for a problem ♪
27:05
♪ You ain't never seen
nothing like me ♪
27:07
♪ Like me, like me ♪
27:09
I'm still working
on the color, man.
27:13
- I just got the line art today.
- We don't need color right now.
27:14
Our presentation is tomorrow.
27:22
We still have a lot to do.
We're definitely behind.
27:24
It's definitely a race
to the finish
27:26
where you got to
meet your deadlines.
27:28
♪ You ain't never seen
nothing like me ♪
27:29
♪ Like me, like me ♪
27:32
Why are your heads down?
27:37
- Cheer up a little bit.
- Hi!
27:39
Vince:
It's week two in presentation.
27:42
We were able to sort of
get a win last week,
27:43
but that doesn't
mean anything, like, we just
27:45
got to go and try to
impress the judges
every single week.
27:47
Welcome teams to your second
presentation.
27:49
Ashley:
Uh-oh. Somebody's missing.
27:53
It's kind of,
like, glaring at us.
27:58
The Hype,
you're down Desmond,
28:01
but I wouldn't expect anything
less than your best effort,
28:03
so I expect to see it tonight.
28:05
Rebecca:
This week was
really hard on us,
28:06
but I'm excited about our shoe.
28:08
Catalina and I put so much work
into this project.
28:10
So students, this week
there's no Swoozie.
28:14
So I'll be your emcee.
28:17
As you can see,
there's four judges this week.
28:24
Myself, Kerry Speake.
28:26
- Hi, guys.
- She is the senior director
28:28
for women's creative direction
at Adidas.
28:30
We also have four-time,
Grammy-winning
28:33
recording artist and fellow
sneakerhead like myself.
28:36
He specifically has
218 pairs of kicks.
28:39
- Macklemore.
- ( all cheering )
28:43
We have supermodel,
author, body activist,
28:45
as well as designer,
Miss Ashley Graham.
28:49
Just a reminder,
you guys are ultimately
28:55
competing for the opportunity
to work at Adidas.
28:58
So their goal this week
was to take a high heel
29:01
that's traditionally not known
for its function and comfort--
29:05
- Don't I know that.
- Absolutely.
29:08
And they had to make more of a
performance-fashion high heel.
29:10
I'm really curious about
the sneaker to heel moment.
29:14
I don't know that I've seen it
done exceedingly well.
29:17
- Yeah.
- Definitely not an easy task
29:20
to take the two worlds
and meld them into one shoe.
29:24
So the Nu Black, you're up.
Let's go.
29:28
Megan:
I think The Nu Black is just
really good at communicating.
29:30
I think we learned
from them to see
29:33
how they were able to
support each other
29:35
and hopefully that shows
in the product.
29:36
The name of our project is
The Skin I'm In.
29:38
Obviously, Ashley,
inspired by you.
29:40
To us, you're the Beyoncé
of body confidence.
29:43
- Ooh!
- Almost effortlessly.
29:45
You know, you shake off the
haters, the Internet trolls,
29:47
and at the same time
you spread positive messages
about body image to women,
29:49
proudly shouting,
"To hell with your beauty
standards."
29:53
- Yeah!
- And, Macklemore,
29:55
one of the coldest white boys
29:57
I ever been in
the presence of.
29:58
- I'll be honest with you.
- Yeah.
29:59
But you,
the same way as Ashley,
30:01
you just seamlessly intertwine
cultural messages,
30:03
positive affirmations
in your music,
30:05
so both of you together,
you've had to overcome a lot,
30:07
and being comfortable
in the skin you're in
30:09
is what got you
to where you are.
30:12
So with this project,
we looked at our shoe
30:13
and we looked
at the imperfections,
30:16
and instead of hiding them,
30:17
we choose to expose them,
30:18
accept them, show them off,
and love them.
30:20
If I remember, Miss Ashley,
30:22
you said you wanted a shoe
where you're able to wear it--
30:23
was it at young lady's event
as well as a lingerie shoot?
30:25
- Yep.
- And, Mr. Macklemore,
30:29
this shoe has to
be able to come
30:30
from the streets
to the runway, correct?
30:32
So these sound like
two different events.
30:34
Two different extremes,
but nobody has time
30:36
to make two different shoes,
30:38
so instead of doing all that,
we made one shoe
30:41
where we give you the ability
30:42
to switch it up to whichever
look that you want.
30:45
and we achieved this
by making a gaiter.
30:47
Basically what I did was
I cut out stencils of the camo,
30:50
used that as an underlay
and started spraying
30:53
the different colors and
starting to build off that.
30:56
It's a sexy,
classy, comfy shoe
30:59
that's gonna have a confidence
that walks in the room
31:02
- Thank you.
- Wow.
31:06
( gasps )
Oh, my gosh.
31:07
- Like this?
- Yeah, that's it.
31:17
I tell you what,
I don't want to speak for you
31:20
but for me, this whole, like,
31:22
turning a sneaker into a heel,
you mastered it.
31:24
I mean, this is amazing.
31:26
Kerry:
I agree with Ashley, like,
31:28
just stylistically
it's really beautiful.
31:29
I think you guys delivered
on that balance
31:31
of sexy and elegant.
31:33
Macklemore:
I don't know
if you guys are
31:35
working with specific colors
of bottoms,
31:36
but matching these two--
31:39
That was actually
the bottom off that.
31:41
- It's the original.
- Oh, it was.
31:42
'Cause it does feel
kind of weird
31:45
to have the different
color kind of camo.
31:46
The black and white
and then the nude up here,
31:48
but overall I think that
31:51
you guys did--
did your thing.
31:53
- Good job.
Take your seats.
- Thank you.
31:55
- Thank you, guys.
- ( applause )
31:57
D'Wayne:
All right, The Blueprint.
Let's see what you have.
32:00
Analise:
This week I wasn't feeling
that confident
32:02
in our team shoe
because it's difficult
32:04
when you have to wait
for someone.
32:07
I definitely feel nervous.
32:09
We are The Blueprint,
32:11
and our concept for this week
32:12
is the Kiss Of Death.
32:13
Ashley said that she would
like to be a Bond girl,
32:15
and her killer move would be
to kiss people to death.
32:17
- Oh, she just did it.
- Oh, oh!
32:21
Look, I almost died just then.
32:23
- Um...
- ( all laughing )
32:25
So our version of
the kiss of death is a kiss
32:27
that kills the old way
of thinking
32:31
in the modeling industry
32:32
and in the music industry,
32:34
which you both came through
and created diversity
32:35
So we're calling you guys
agents of change.
32:39
And the shoe
that we created for you,
32:43
we had to take this heel,
32:44
combine it
with legendary NMD,
32:45
so you could be
on a whole other level.
32:47
Let's talk about
some of the colors.
32:58
In the Ariaprene Pro,
we have integrated the camo
33:00
from the original NMD.
33:03
We used a matte black
and the venom on top,
33:05
almost like a double camo.
33:07
Lastly, we can't forget
about the Boost.
33:09
So whether you're punching,
kicking, the Boost is there
33:11
so you can always
bounce back.
33:15
- Thank you.
- All right, agents,
33:16
Ashley:
It's so outside of the box,
33:23
but it still has such,
like, a high-end feel to it.
33:24
It would be a shoe that
I wouldn't personally buy,
33:27
but if somebody put it on me,
I know that I would rock it.
33:29
I think there's a lot
of imagination in here
33:31
but the colorway
is not my favorite.
33:34
It's just a little
over the top,
33:38
and I would've just
toned it back to, you know,
33:40
kind of bring it all together
and center it.
33:43
- I love the spy concept.
- It's really good.
33:45
I mean, you thought
outside the box.
33:48
They didn't go for
the normal curve or body
33:49
or whatever you thought
of a character.
33:52
You created a whole scenario.
33:54
That was really awesome.
33:55
The Hype is up next.
33:59
Rebecca:
We're really quite excited
34:02
to present to Macklemore
and Ashley.
34:03
We have a great story,
great shoe.
34:06
We've worked tremendous hours
on this and gave it our all.
34:08
Ashley, you're walking
down the sidewalk,
34:11
- when all of a sudden,
- Ring, ring!
34:13
It's Macklemore here.
34:16
We have a situation.
We need your help.
34:19
And just like that,
34:20
Ashley dashes
through the scene,
34:22
changing into her alter ego.
34:24
Catalina:
Sexy, Super Curvalicious.
34:26
Rebecca:
We started out
with a short kind of heel.
34:30
I was going for more of a Ashley
Instagram type of a look.
34:32
It was not working,
34:35
and it was 2:00 am
at this point,
34:37
and we were just
balls deep in it.
34:39
We couldn't think of
anything more--
34:41
Talk more about
the "balls deep" thing.
34:44
- Yeah.
- Anyways, um--
34:47
then Catalina with
her cute accent, she's like,
34:49
"We just need to go for it."
34:53
So, as a challenge...
34:54
This is the first
part of your shoe,
35:01
and you're just strolling
down the street,
35:03
and you have
the sneaker on you,
35:05
and then you get a call again
from Macklemore.
35:07
So you need to race
to the scene.
35:09
You have to strap it on quick,
35:11
so we have a zipper going
all the way up to the front.
35:12
You have your extra cushion
35:15
just so that you can
get there faster.
35:17
And we've also made the sole
a little bit thicker
35:18
so that it distributes
the weight a little bit better.
35:21
I see you with the capes.
You guys did a good job!
35:26
So here's your leg.
35:34
Right, in case
you needed another one.
35:38
Wow. I have a comic!
35:40
Yeah, you have
your own comic book.
35:43
These presentations!
35:45
This is the part
that I really like the most
35:50
is that there is a zipper,
but it can be opened
35:51
depending on how big or small
the leg is, right?
35:53
It's definitely very wearable,
and I like it,
35:56
and I would
definitely wear it.
35:58
- Would you wear this?
- I would wear this.
36:00
- Yeah!
- ( all laughing )
36:02
This makes me want to hoop.
36:05
And this makes me
want to go out.
36:06
- D'Wayne: Right?
- ( all laughing )
36:08
I'm really impressed.
36:09
You guys killed
this challenge.
36:11
D'Wayne:
Being down one,
you guys did a great job,
36:13
but I will have to give you
a little bit on the balls--
36:15
- was it deep?
- Yeah, sorry about that.
36:18
High? What was it?
I can't remember what it was.
36:20
I know I don't
want to be there,
36:22
- Yeah, yeah.
- whatever that is.
36:23
Just be conscious of the words
that come out of your mouth.
36:26
It was my favorite part.
36:29
- Yeah.
- D'Wayne: All right, so,
36:33
to close us out, Trifecta.
36:35
I think I'm sold on the shoe
and the concept,
36:37
I'm a little bit worried
about the presentation.
36:42
The other three groups
did a good job
36:43
setting the bar high.
36:45
So coming in
as the last group,
36:46
we got to knock it out,
pretty much.
36:48
We were tasked
with reinventing
36:50
two of the most iconic
pieces of footwear--
36:52
the running sneaker
into a classic stiletto.
36:55
What's a symbol of perfection?
36:58
To us it was a diamond.
37:00
But what makes diamonds
really interesting
37:02
is when they're not perfect.
37:03
It's about celebrating flaws.
37:05
So our color inspiration
is actually influenced
37:06
by how light hits a diamond.
37:08
So depending on the angle
and the intensity of the light,
37:10
depends on a certain color
that you see.
37:13
So I'm gonna talk
from our first prototype--
37:15
- Don't look too scared--
- First prototype.
37:18
It looks way better than--
first prototype.
37:19
The outsole is made
from a stretch web rubber
37:21
which houses the Boost midsole
for cushioning.
37:24
As far as, like, the heel,
the toe, and the perimeter,
37:26
that's made
of a pebbled suede
37:29
to give you that luxurious feel,
flexibility.
37:31
The heel cap has that shine
37:34
like we were talking about
with the diamonds.
37:36
The knit ankle collar
for a tight fit
37:37
and breathable support,
and of course we had to include
37:40
that Boost midsole
so that you can walk
37:42
in your high heels
throughout the whole day.
37:44
So we hope
you really like it.
37:46
- Wow.
- Thank you.
37:48
Now this is, like,
very Stella McCartney.
37:50
I like that it kind of
looks like a sneaker still.
37:52
It's definitely
a specialty shoe,
37:55
but in the best kind of way.
37:57
My only criticism
is seeing the prototype.
37:59
For me, like,
if I'm making a song,
38:02
when my song is done,
38:05
I don't go back
and show people rough drafts.
38:07
I kind of like
this color way more.
38:10
- Mmm.
- And then I think
38:12
it lessens the impact
of your final product.
38:13
You guys did deliver
a really compelling design.
38:15
- Nice work.
- Yay!
38:19
Ashley:
I do have to say one thing,
38:21
it's one thing to see
38:23
all the prototypes
here in person,
38:24
but it's a whole other thing
to see them actually in action.
38:27
They were also tasked
38:32
to put on a little bit
of a fashion show for you.
38:33
- Ooh!
- A fashion show.
38:35
We'll start off with
the street wear look first,
38:38
and then we'll roll right
into the high-fashion part.
38:40
Let's start the runway show.
38:42
Our shoe on the model
looked amazing.
38:50
I'm hoping
Ashley notices that
38:52
we blended the two worlds
very well,
38:54
and I'm just hoping
Macklemore notices
38:56
that it's cool enough
to be considered street.
38:58
When the model came out
and they changed the lighting,
39:11
you see that camo stand out,
39:14
I think that made, like,
a whole lot of difference.
39:15
Our shoe--
our shoe was ( bleep ) dope.
39:20
Rebecca:
Our model, I'm really hoping
that she's not gonna trip,
39:26
because we have
the bottom sole of it on there,
39:29
and I'm like,
"Oh, that's gonna make it
hard to walk in."
39:32
It was a little
nerve-wracking.
39:35
It looks amazing.
It actually looks sexy,
39:49
and it's functional.
39:51
Hopefully they both love it.
39:53
You guys did
a really good job.
40:01
- Yes.
- You really did.
40:03
D'Wayne:
So now the hard part comes.
40:04
We have to excuse you guys
for a few minutes
40:06
while we have
a little bit of deliberation
40:09
and conversation
amongst ourselves.
40:11
Thank you guys very much.
40:13
Now the tough part begins.
40:18
So we have Nu Black.
40:20
To me it was night and day
seeing it here like this.
40:23
But then when I saw it
walk down the runway,
40:27
I could not see myself
in this shoe.
40:28
That's the power of putting it
on the consumer's foot.
40:31
There's something
simplistic about this,
between the colorway
40:34
and just kind of
the sporty upper.
40:37
This has definitely grown on me,
and I did not think
40:40
that I would be saying
that right now whatsoever.
40:43
It's a little clunky.
40:46
It's maybe not what
you would typically expect
40:48
for a high heel
for most body types.
40:50
I think the model
struggled a little bit.
40:54
D'Wayne: Blueprint?
40:55
Ashley:
This is a confusing shoe to me
40:57
because it has
too many things on it.
40:58
Take a few things away
and I really like this shoe.
41:01
Macklemore:
I think it's a really
innovative design.
41:04
I think that they
pushed the boundaries.
41:07
But would I go to a store
and pick this out
41:09
for my girl to wear?
41:11
- No.
- D'Wayne: The Hype?
41:13
Macklemore:
There's something about
seeing this up close.
41:15
You see the craftsmanship.
41:17
You see how nice
this mesh actually is.
41:19
And further away,
because of the color, I think,
it looks cheap.
41:22
The presentation
was really great.
41:27
They're down a member.
41:29
Nobody else put all the time
into the lace
41:30
and into the zipper.
41:32
The mesh did look
a little cheap out there,
41:34
but the leather
is so beautiful.
41:35
I like the chance
that they took.
41:37
Different than
the other designs here
41:39
is if you remove the story,
this doesn't look like this.
41:41
They went in.
They made a superhero.
41:45
- Trifecta.
- ♪ Trifecta ♪
41:47
This is hard because their
presentation wasn't as strong.
41:50
But then they made
a really great shoe!
41:53
- Yeah.
- I like this.
41:56
I think that this
is really clean.
41:58
This, again, to me,
looks like something--
42:00
I see it at a store.
42:03
If anything, I would say
it might lack some imagination
42:04
of the other ones,
but not a lot.
42:08
I could see myself
wearing this shoe.
42:11
And it's definitely
my vibe of colors.
42:13
The only thing for me
was really just bringing out
the imperfection.
42:15
It's almost too perfect.
42:18
They achieved that
a little bit with the sole,
42:20
but that was really it.
42:22
Are you guys ready for--
42:23
- Yes.
- Let's bring 'em back.
42:26
- Okay. Let's do it.
- Let's do it.
42:27
All right,
how you guys doing?
42:33
It took us a little while
42:36
to get to a conclusion.
42:37
But the two teams that will
step forward tonight
42:39
will be Trifecta...
42:43
Nu Black, The Blueprint,
42:49
please take your seats.
42:51
The Hype and Trifecta,
42:53
you guys were the two best
teams this week.
42:55
Trifecta, the presentation
wasn't the smoothest,
42:57
but we really did love
the design itself.
43:00
The Hype, even though you guys
were short one person,
43:02
you didn't look that way.
43:06
You guys took a chance
43:07
and what I loved
the most about it
43:09
was without your theme,
43:11
your shoe wouldn't look
the way it does.
43:13
Huge, huge thank you
to you guys for delivering.
43:15
You guys both did
an amazing job.
43:17
- I'm nervous, too.
- I'm nervous.
43:26
I don't know why I'm nervous.
43:28
This week, the team
with the freshest kicks...
43:29
Compared to last week,
43:50
it's nice to see
that we've improved.
43:51
Coming out last
in the last week
43:54
and then coming out
first this week
43:56
is a dramatic difference.
43:57
It's just so crazy to think
43:59
that we've gone
so far so quick.
44:00
I think part of it, too,
44:02
is we've just grown so much
so quickly.
44:04
I still can't believe we won.
44:07
Thank you very much.
Take care.
44:09
It is disappointing.
It is frustrating.
44:11
But we can just
get better from here.
44:14
We can just push it farther.
44:16
I'm going to put everything
I have into it.
44:17
Next time on
"Lace Up: The Ultimate
Sneaker Challenge"...
44:23
Give it up for Mr. Fetty Wap!
44:26
- I'm digging it.
- You have a new teammate.
44:27
- Oh, shit.
- Action.
44:31
You're gonna be shooting
your music video
44:33
with Jesse Wellens.
44:35
The video?
Not appropriate.
44:36