Legendary designer Chip Foose teams up with Oakley for hot-rod shoes

Chip Foose has designed hot rods, concept and production cars for the Detroit Three and has a room full of America's Most Beautiful Roadster and Ridler awards--the pinnacle for a hot-rodder. He's even designed a casino, the Motor City Casino in Detroit.

And now, he has penned a shoe.

Oakley chose the NHRA's U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis as the location for the release of Oakley Three Palms, a casual shoe with Foose design signatures all over it. Foose is the grand marshal for the U.S. Nationals.

Three Palms is not the first collaboration between Foose and Oakley, as he has worked with the company to design eyewear in the past.

"I am a huge fan of NHRA drag racing and Oakley," said Foose. "Both are uniquely American icons, and the two have amazing history together. The U.S. Nationals is the biggest, most historical drag-racing event of the season with some of the best competition. Oakley is the ultimate passion-based, design-driven brand."

Accented with stitch detailing and thermoplastic rubber highlights, Oakley Three Palms footwear combines full-grain leather, polyurethane coated leather and the art of a Foose original. Retail price is $100 for a pair, and the shoe is on sale at www.oakley.com. Another Foose shoe will be released next spring.

"When we first got together with Chip to do the shoe, he spent about six hours working on the design," said Troy McMullen, who heads up the footwear division for Oakley. "In that six hours, we were 90 percent done. He's amazing."

A double stripe on the sole pays homage to the open highway. Foose often styles his custom cars with a horizontal two-tone coloration that gives the effect of hovering, and he chose the same layout for one of the two editions of Three Palms. Contrast stitch lines salute the upholstery and leatherwork on Foose's custom vehicles. The Three Palms logo on the footbed is from one of the famed designer's own brand logos, and his signature is combined with the Oakley icon.

Foose graduated with honors from the Art Center College of Design in California and began his career as a designer and fabricator for the Asha Corp. His creative talents later served Stehrenberger Design, Baker Sportronics and Hot Rods by Boyd, where he became the managing director and president. In November 1997, Foose was inducted into the Hot Rod Hall of Fame. He started his own company, Foose Design, the following year.

By Roger Hart