According to footwear designer Rana Cheikha, the temptation to blindly follow trends is strong in this line of business. For many, “designing” a shoe is synonymous with altering a buckle, changing a color, or reworking an existing silhouette. However, this approach overlooks the essence of design: identity.
Rana understands that recreating familiar models without really innovating can be a natural starting point for beginners. However, the real challenge lies in knowing when and how to move beyond imitation, to stop reproducing and to start imagining, questioning, and refining concepts. It is through this shift that designers develop their research methods and, ultimately, find their unique and distinctive design languages.
For Rana, that process also entails rejecting the industry’s dependence on trend forecasting. Trend shows and reports are too prescriptive, she argues. They standardize how designers feel and what they create. She insists that true inspiration comes from physically exploring the world rather than relying on a screen to determine what is the next “IT” thing.
Rana began to articulate this approach during her master’s studies in footwear and accessory design at Polimoda in Florence. Her graduation collection explored themes of land, borders, and movement. She closely examined topography and mapping systems to understand how borders are formed and defined. The research expanded into reflections on migration, displacement, and dispersal. From this process emerged the Medan moccasin, the signature shoe that embodies the eponymous label, Rana Cheikha.
Now, I am going to be completely biased. I am one of Rana Cheikha’s biggest fans. I quite literally live in my mustard Medan moccasin and black Ain oxford. Family and friends can hardly imagine me in anything else. There is something fascinating about the way Rana’s style perfectly aligns with mine, which made me wonder: what does it take for a shoe to become part of someone’s daily life?
It has to become an extension of the wearer’s identity. It must speak to their character and lifestyle. Otherwise, it will end up gathering dust in our wardrobes, unworn, or at best, worn once. Rare are the designers who can connect with the values and beliefs of their clients. There is a certain power in committing to a label that can express multiple facets of who you are and moves with you through life.
Therefore, I concluded that the blueprint for a signature shoe cannot be complete without three key elements: specialization, perfection, and discipline. In this context, specialization means standing out of the crowd. Designers attract attention to their creations by perfecting a single technique and refining a single concept. With time, they build a clear, unmistakable, visual language that is instantly recognizable and scalable. In a congested market, where periodic mass releases are the norm and attention spans are decreasing, discipline provides clarity. By following this checklist, a label can transcend noise and set itself apart from the competition. As they say, one can accomplish more by doing less.
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