Some of the shortlisted designs seeking the first "Red Boots Award" of the China International Footwear Design Competition. [Photo/WeChat account: wenzhoufabu]
The award ceremony for the first "Red Boots Award" China International Footwear Design Competition is set to take place in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on June 24.
Since first soliciting entries in June of last year, the competition has attracted numerous participants, including nearly 900 students from 45 Chinese universities and 85 designers from 33 countries, and received 2,021 designs.
Shortlisted entries can be divided into dress shoe designs, leisure shoe designs, and boot designs, many of which highlight traditional Chinese culture, including mythical creatures in The Classic of Mountains and Seas, Peking Opera facial masks, and the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Some of the shortlisted entries also integrate technological elements such as artificial intelligence and space.
Experts will grade these shortlisted designs from design concept, creation, and presentation, as well as product and market positioning during a roadshow at the finals.
Thirty-five prize winners selected from the shortlist will receive a combined 3.3 million yuan ($461,000) in bonuses with the highest being 500,000 yuan.
In addition, the competition will grant Red Boosts Nominee Awards to 60 shortlisted entries.
Wenzhou boasts a long history and solid foundation in shoe manufacturing and currently a shoe manufacturing industrial cluster valued at over 100 billion yuan has taken shape in the city.
To promote the high-quality development of the city's shoe manufacturing industry, the Wenzhou municipal government cooperated with the China Leather Industry Association to sponsor the competition, which is expected to become the most authoritative and influential for companies in the Chinese shoe manufacturing industry.
