CONTEXT
Ice Cold USA began as a footwear concept rooted in nostalgia, regional identity, and skate culture. Initially developed as retro-inspired skate shoe, the project expanded into a broader brand system exploring how product, identity, and presentation can operate cohesively.
Rather than functioning as a single object, the shoe was treated as an entry point into a larger brand world - one that considers materials, graphic language, and physical experience as interconnected parts of a system. The project was developed as a self-initiated thesis work, with the intention of researching how a concept-driven footwear brand might be positioned, produced, and communicated.
PERSPECTIVE
The Ice Cold USA system approaches brand building through product logic rather than surface styling. Design decisions were guided by use, context and cultural reference; drawing from skate heritage, and regional cues.
The identity was designed to support variation, without losing coherence. Logos, typography and graphics were developed as modular components capable of adapting across product iterations, physical artifacts, and experiential moments, emphasis was placed on clarity and repeatability, allowing the system to scale while maintaining a distinct point of view.
SYSTEMVISUALS
IMPACT
The project resulted in a fully realized footwear and brand system, including a retro skate shoe prototype, supporting identity assets, and a physical presentation environment design to contextualize the product. The work demonstrates an integrated approach to product design and brand direction, where concept, execution, and experience work together to reinforce the message.
Beyond individual deliverables, Ice Cold USA functions as a case study in translating abstract ideas into tangible outcomes: testing how narrative, form, and system design can align with a cohesive brand framework. The project continues to serve as a foundation for future development.
FIFTEEN
+100
GUESTS
PIECES
Ice Cold USA demonstrates an approach to brand and product development rooted in cohesion rather than spectacle. By treating footwear identity, identity, and presentation as parts of a single system, the project establishes a framework capable of evolving beyond an initial concept or prototype.
The work reflects an interest in how brands are built from the inside out. Where choices in material, graphics, language, and physical experience reinforce one another. As a self-initiated project, Ice Cold USA serves as both an exercise and a practical foundation, positioning the system for continued refinement, iteration, and potential real-world translation.
★★★★★