Dimensions 22 x 26 x 10 cm
Material Shoe, Needles, Thread
Jan Jansen original 2000
Material Shoe, Needles, Thread
Jan Jansen original 2000
One of the reasons why a little boy named Ray Horacek wanted to live in Japan one day was his obsession with origami. At the age of 23 he was offered a job working for Reebok, the leading brand of athletic shoes. Needless to say, he was on the next flight out.
After his time at Reebok, Horacek worked as Head of Design at Puma but left the company to work
as a freelancer and an artist.
as a freelancer and an artist.
Footwear intrigues Ray Horacek – for him, it is one of the most essential things a person uses in his
or her life. He finds the connection between a human being and the earth (both in a literal and
a figurative sense) mesmerizing. As a designer, he finds inspiration in art and architecture. Fine art helps him question basic assumptions and explore emotions, while architecture solves complex problems and explores technical methods.
The most innovative athletic footwear solves strict technical challenges, while at the same time connecting to the user's emotions, so pulling ideas from the worlds of both art and architecture helps connect these dots.
or her life. He finds the connection between a human being and the earth (both in a literal and
a figurative sense) mesmerizing. As a designer, he finds inspiration in art and architecture. Fine art helps him question basic assumptions and explore emotions, while architecture solves complex problems and explores technical methods.
The most innovative athletic footwear solves strict technical challenges, while at the same time connecting to the user's emotions, so pulling ideas from the worlds of both art and architecture helps connect these dots.
‘I love the spirit and energy that Jan Jansen is able to capture in footwear,
it is almost as if his shoes can tell you stories without any words. I also love that his work has such a strong base in traditional methods of last making, leather construction, patterning etcetera, but at the same time is constantly striving for
new approaches and emotional impact.’
it is almost as if his shoes can tell you stories without any words. I also love that his work has such a strong base in traditional methods of last making, leather construction, patterning etcetera, but at the same time is constantly striving for
new approaches and emotional impact.’
The energy, vigour, spirit, anatomy and technology of sport are all endless sources of inspiration for challenging the status quo. Jansen's shoes have volumes, proportions, materials and silhouettes that are very different to those Horacek is used to working with. This has provided a fresh look, feel and approach. He sees in the work of Jansen a beautiful, baroque approach to footwear, using exaggeration, repetition and motion to create drama, tension, and energy. His work tends to achieve this more emotionally. Horacek's re-interpretation of Jansen's work aims at adding an additional structural approach to achieve a similar effect.