Hush Puppies invites designers to compete in Shoe Design Challenge contest; April 18 deadline

By Sharon Hanks

Do you fancy yourself as a fashion designer? Are you a footwear fan? If so, you now have a chance to translate your most creative design ideas into an opportunity to make some extra money and maybe launch a meteoric design career with the new Hush Puppies Shoe Design Challenge contest.

The international division of Wolverine World Wide Inc. that is long associated with comfort and a basset hound hopes to discover fresh talent with a contest that's part of the inaugural spring fashion show planned in downtown Grand Rapids, Runway on Monroe.

Designers are encouraged to submit their finest footwear illustrations of a new Hush Puppy look for women or men, high, low, laced, zipped, boot, shoe or sandal by the contest's deadline April 18.

Tracy Fahselt, a Hush Puppies marketing specialist, says a panel of design judges from the Rockford-based footwear giant will pick their five favorites, post the illustrations online for a public vote, and then announce the winner at the Runway on Monroe event starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15, in Rosa Park Circle.

The lucky winner will take home $1,000 and a pair of Hush Puppy footwear every month (value of $60 to $140 each) while Hush Puppy employees are busy manufacturing the winning design to be part of the company's regular 2011 lineup of new styles. The contest could also be the first step of an exciting career for an aspiring shoe designer!

There is no fee to enter, but participants must be a legal resident of the United States and be at least 18. They are encouraged to donate a minimum of $1 to the Michigan Basset Rescue organization. Four runners-up will receive a pair of Hush Puppies along with $500 gift certificates.

Fahselt says Hush Puppies is the title sponsor of the Runaway on Monroe, an event dreamed up by two upstart Grand Rapids entrepreneurs, Jerrad Matthew of Matthew Agency and Alyssa Ann Schutter of 616 Creations.

"We thought it'd be a good opportunity to highlight the state and the community where we live and work," says Fahselt. The event occurs on the same weekend of the Hush Puppies Global Sales Conference in Rockford when representatives from 140 countries will descend upon the community for a footwear festival of sorts.

"It coincides with our conference . . . and we wanted to do something fun in our local area," Fahselt says. "This seemed like a good tie-in."

Runway on Monroe will breathe some fresh air in the local fashion design world with its own contest that could help launch the careers of 20 aspiring fashion designers. Participants had until March 7 to enter the contest in which judges will select the top 20 designs and the general public will narrow to five lucky designers via online voting.

Sources: Tracy Fahselt, marketing specialist at Wolverine World Wide Hush Puppy division, Rockford; Runway on Monroe website.

Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at [email protected]. She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.

Hush Puppies invites designers to compete in Shoe Design Challenge contest; April 18 deadline

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