Project Overview
About the Client / My Role
Cardinal Shoe Co. is a startup brand focused on athletic-leisure footwear and fashion apparel for a young, trend-conscious, urban audience.
The client came with a specific challenge:
Create an original logo and brand style that speaks to the world of sneaker culture, youth fashion, and athletic identity — drawing inspiration from the University of Louisville Cardinals mascot and Kanye West’s Yeezy line.
While no direct use of licensed marks was allowed, the goal was to capture the energy, confidence, and local loyalty associated with those brands — while also creating something completely new that could scale with apparel, product, and digital use.
The Process
Upon researching existing shoe brands and show supply companies, I created a few design styles that reflected an original icon/identity that fits the core demographic, and lends enough information about the product/model, while still satisfying the client's affinity for an already-licensed (and nationally-known) University athletic brand. The logo was created in a way that would lead way towards marketing within the apparel industry - something the client mentioned in our meeting.
Discovery & Brand Context
• Reviewed athleisure and sneaker industry trends to find common visual threads in urban sportswear
• Researched the University of Louisville’s mascot brand energy without directly copying its licensed marks
• Mapped visual cues from Yeezy’s minimal-yet-bold streetwear aesthetic, blending athletic aggression with modern restraint
Logo Design & Visual Identity
• Developed a custom wordmark and icon inspired by motion, speed, and confidence
• Avoided cartoon mascots in favor of fashion-forward minimalism and brand scalability
• Created a visual identity that could flex across footwear labels, apparel tags, digital ads, and storefronts
The initial (above) concept was rejected, as the client wanted more implication of an actual shoe for the second concept.
This created a difficult challenge, as the core build was heavily focused on the University of Louisville Cardinal concept.
Brand Style Guide & Expansion Strategy
• Delivered brand color recommendations, font systems, and use-case mockups
• Built the logo to be modular and merch-ready — optimized for embroidered caps, tags, stickers, and packaging
• Positioned the brand to speak to Gen Z streetwear culture while still appealing to broader retail settings
Strategic Challenges & Solutions
Client wanted references to a nationally licensed mascot
→ Solution: Captured the essence of the Cardinal identity through original design — avoiding copyright violations while honoring the inspiration
→ Solution: Captured the essence of the Cardinal identity through original design — avoiding copyright violations while honoring the inspiration
Needed to attract both sneakerheads and casual wearers
→ Solution: Blended athletic aesthetics with streetwear minimalism — echoing popular visual styles without losing clarity or originality
→ Solution: Blended athletic aesthetics with streetwear minimalism — echoing popular visual styles without losing clarity or originality
Future plans for apparel + retail scaling
→ Solution: Designed the logo as a flexible brand mark ready for tags, embroidery, e-comm, and lifestyle promotion
→ Solution: Designed the logo as a flexible brand mark ready for tags, embroidery, e-comm, and lifestyle promotion
Breakthrough
The client originally wanted to mimic the University of Louisville mascot, but I knew that would create legal issues and limit originality. I pivoted the concept toward a custom shoe icon, inspired by silhouettes the client loved — shifting the focus to product-driven branding that felt authentic and scalable.
To sell the vision, I created mockups and lookbook-style layouts to show how the logo would perform in real-world use. Once the client saw it in action, they fully embraced the new direction.
The final mark delivered what the brand actually needed: streetwear credibility, originality, and room to grow — not a borrowed identity.
Conclusion / Analysis
This project was a lesson in creative redirection and brand clarity. By steering the client away from imitation and toward original visual storytelling, I helped shape a brand that felt confident, authentic, and future-ready.
The final identity speaks directly to its audience — urban, style-conscious, and product-focused — and sets the foundation for real brand equity in footwear and apparel.
It’s proof that great branding doesn’t follow trends — it defines its own lane.
