Spring 2026 - WINNER

POP Surge — Performance Skateboard Footwear & Brand Identity

POP Surge is a high-performance skateboard footwear system and brand identity developed to address a fundamental gap in action sports: the absence of engineering-driven footwear designed specifically for elite skateboarding. While traditional sports like running, soccer, and tennis have benefited from decades of biomechanical research and material innovation, skateboarding footwear has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s, prioritizing either aesthetics or basic protection, but rarely both. Surge was created to challenge that status quo. The product centers on four performance pillars: energy return, protection, board feel, and flexibility. At its core is a proprietary P-shaped carbon plate engineered into the midsole to optimize energy return during jumps, the most critical and repetitive action in skateboarding. The upper combines Cordura fabric, suede, and a TPU-fused toecap for structural durability, while rubber side panels and a Vibram Mega Grip outsole deliver the grip and board sensitivity that competitive skaters demand. The design process was grounded in cross-disciplinary research spanning skateboarding biomechanics, injury data, and performance footwear technologies from adjacent sports. Material prototyping and iterative testing informed every decision, from midsole geometry to upper construction. Beyond the product, POP Surge includes a complete brand identity system that bridges skateboarding's street culture roots with the precision language of performance engineering. The visual identity and go-to-market strategy were designed as an integrated ecosystem, positioning Surge not as a shoe, but as a platform for advancing what skateboard footwear can be.