Football Authentic was an internal concept exploring how the Vans Authentic could be reinterpreted through the visual language of classic football boots. Inspired by the Puma King boots I wore growing up, the project combined the familiar proportions of the Authentic with football-inspired detailing to create a silhouette that felt both nostalgic and unexpected.

The concept progressed through an initial round of sampling, but time constraints meant there wasn’t an opportunity to refine the design further before it was reviewed. Although the project wasn’t selected at the time, the core idea stayed with the team. A few years later, the concept was revisited, further developed and eventually released as the Authentic Copa, coinciding with the FIFA World Cup.

Seeing a direction that began as an exploratory concept evolve into a finished product was particularly rewarding. It reinforced the value of speculative design and showed how strong ideas can continue to develop long after an initial project has ended.