How did design first impact my life?

When we were asked to remember the first object that had a positive memory of the impact of design, I had trouble thinking of the things in my childhood that I actually noticed the design of. To me, I couldn’t think of the literal design of anything, but rather only the action of playing with or using certain objects. But then it dawned on me…L.A. GEAR LIGHT UP SHOES. How could I forget about something whose design was such a defining point of the era I grew up in?



A self-proclaimed shoe addict, of course I owned a pair of L.A. Gear shoes. Every kid had them or wanted them. But what about this shoe made it so coveted? The most defining part of its design is the “light up” sole. Different than any shoe, the lights catch your eye automatically. Every time someone wearing the shoe took a step, lights lit up the shoe. Whether or not this design was used as a gimmick to attract children to beg their parents to buy shoes that were L.A. Gear brand, it worked. The lights in the shoe honed in on every child’s attraction to bright, “shiny” objects. Thus, whoever had L.A. Gear light up shoes was the center of attention, as all eyes focused on the lucky one running away with lit up feet.

Furthermore, what made these shoes so acceptable among adults, was the fact that they were still sneakers. An important factor for parents, their children’s feet could still have support with these new shoes (unlike let’s say, Crocs, whose design may be comfortable, but not practical for children running around).

Most tennis shoes at the time looked the same to me, except for L.A. Gear light up shoes. The design of the shoe made this pair of sneakers a hot, standout item for me and as a result, a memorable part of my childhood. It’s hard to notice the design of something when you are young, but I can say for a fact that the design of these shoes are definitely the reason I remembered them.