Jake Smith

- SEGLA Out Now - Link in BIO + description⬇️<3 Link: /products/segla?variant=56654359494991 Well everyone, we made it. I say we because this project genuinely took a village. From the start, SEGLA was simple. Just a way for myself to experiment in the 3D workspace but very quickly I saw what a project like this could really offer. It was an opportunity to bring something originally so close to my chest, put it in front of my peers among many different mediums, and really trust what they wanted to do with it. For a shoe that is meant to be made for humans to do human things, the people I worked with really gave it a heartbeat. Thank you to everyone who was involved along the way, and to those who choose to wear SEGLA. Below, you can find a list to everyone who carried a part of this launch🤝 - Platform: @zellerfeld @zellerfella @see_kay - Photo direction: @theokphotos - showing the ropes of 3D: @jackhwinkler - 3D proofing: @no_moq_ - Lighting director: @figo.pov - DP/Video: @choi4i - Styling: @ericaandko - Talent: @xamnil @jennywalrod - styled products provided by: @hatchetsupply - PA: @mshell1501 - producer: @mr.johnseph - Design/creative direction: myself Thank you all again and as always, continue to spread the love of the sport❤️ @lookatsangi @curatedforrunners @hartcopy @fieldmag @runneralerts

- SEGLA design process - In celebration SEGLA’s release soon, this weeks sketch post is a small throwback to the original process of this design. While I feel like I’ve talked plenty already of the story and inspo of the shoe, I haven’t talked much about WHY I started this. While sketching has always been a strong suit of mine, the challenge of a 3D printed shoe at the start felt like a really daunting task and this excited me. It was a moment that forced me to learn more tools as well as push the silhouette of traditional footwear. 3D printed footwear often get forced into 2 common comparisons either being the recovery sandal/yeezy look alike, or some form of alien spaceship. What I was hoping to do with SEGLA was create a new space within these two categories that capitalized on the technology of 3d footwear as well as the practicality of current running + outdoor footwear. On top of the design, SEGLA was the opportunity to really stretch my storytelling ability on a marketing standpoint from start to finish. Included in this, was the ability to bring on voices and talents from many of my peers in the creative space. It was truly a gift and I’m thankful to everyone who helped along the process. Find SEGLA @zellerfeld on feb 26 and as always, continue to spread the love of the sport❤️ See you soon. @lookatsangi @lacelessdesign @curatedforrunners

- SEGLA RELEASE DATE - Thur. February 26, 2026 After long last, I’m so excited to announce, “SEGLA” is finally releasing THIS MONTH. As mentioned in previous posts, this shoe has dated from a personal journey all the way back in summer 2024 where I wished to capture the sights and experiences that I was blessed to see, in a functional silhouette. With the best of my ability and the help of @zellerfeld this can be a reality now that you all get to experience with me. Come The 26th, you can find SEGLA on @zellerfeld retail website in a range of colors and well as the ability to scan your foot for a hyper personalized 3d printed fit. Thank you to the help of @jackhwinkler for showing me the ropes of this platform + 3D renders and @no_moq_ for the 3D proofing. See you all soon and forever and always, continue to spread the love of this sport❤️ @fieldmag @conceptkicks @lookatsangi @hartcopy #running #hiking #trailrunning

- FlyRibbon concept / ai workflow - Aaaaaand we are back! After a quick pause to wrap a few consultant projects, I’m happy to be sharing some new work with you all. For this weekly project, I wanted to revisit a past concept of mine, the “FlyRibbon” upper, but this time expand my ai workflow and showcase it in a way I don’t normally. Ai has often times been a helpful tool for myself even since college but I generally have preferred to never let it be in replacement of sketching or rapid prototyping, however this time, I wanted to give it a bit extra time and organically let it unfold versus trying to keep it all within an extremely tight requirement based on what I could make with my own hands. This lead to a very freeing experience that felt okay for the design to not be immediately feasible but rather be more expressive. In turn what I spent more time on was dialing in what details I wanted to keep or further expand on; especially texture, visual weight, new “construction” methods, etc. I never like for ai to be a final product per say however, I felt as though this was a great opportunity to share a more polished representation of my thought process (and @vizcom_ board lol) Lmk what you all think and if you want to see more! As always continue to spread the love of the sport❤️ @lookatsangi @curatedforrunners @conceptkicks @lacelessdesign

- FlyRibbon concept - Weekly sketch Since I was traveling this past week, this weeks sketch post is a concept of mine done a few months ago. With the time limit of just a weekend, the goal was to create a “5 years in the future” running concept that both felt plausible in reality, but still striking enough to not feel like it belonged today. Inspired visually by @nikerunning A.I.R concepts, @on lightspray for their innovation in upper materials/manufacturing, and Ving running sandals for their category victory, the hope was to create a a blend of these victory’s in the sport. . This project too served as a benchmark for myself in the way I ideate under pressure. The process very quickly took from ideation, traditional hand sketching, digital hand sketching, 3d sketching + development, and finally rendering/presentation all within the span of two days. Now tell me, think it would work? Would you try it? As always, continue spreading the love of this sport. See you next week(this time with new sketches).❤️ @curatedforrunners @protosofthegram @lacelessdesign @runneralerts #footweardesign #roadrunning

- Agro-Trail concept - (Not final-to be expanded) For this weeks sketching, I took the time to begin ideating more aggressive formats for trail racing. Often, the category feels extremely tricky to introduce hyper aggressive silhouettes into, and for good reason. It requires a shoe to be light, durable, adaptable, and responsive but not in a way that would create unwanted instability over rocks, roots and downhills. While I do not claim this to be the answer, it’s a fun challenge to take on nonetheless and an opportunity to push what is usually a pretty locked in footwear shape. Got feedback? Drop it below ⬇️ Continue to spread the love of this amazing sport❤️ @lookatsangi @lacelessdesign #footweardesign #trailrunning

- @hoka Evo JAWZ reimagined - Pulled from one of my favorite and most unexpected models from the hoka lineup, the Evo line was initially designed to be a lightweight and more performance iterated line of their traditional models like the Mafate and Stinson. This one however stood a little on its own titled the Hoka Evo JAWZ made to be an ultra lightweight trail racer. She stood out like a sore thumb among its counterparts especially during a time when Hoka was one of the only brands releasing maximal cushioning. The attempt here was to bring a lifestyle twist to the midsole that felt modern, while still serviceable to its roots. Lmk whatcha think;) ——————————————- LIFE UPDATE: New home, new self challenge. The past week, I made the initially unexpected, but extremely well welcomed move to Boston, Ma (shout to my partner @cant.handle.the.yandle and her new gig:)). With this new change in scenery, I wanted to challenge my normal flow and introduce more footwear sketching just for the sake of doing it; not always to for the sake of eventually building them. It’s a simple process that I love to do that I often loose the habit of with the mix of everything else. They won’t always be super pretty like these, but my goal in the end of the day is to push what I normally see from myself and my comfortable style. Expect these once or twice a week! As always, continue to spread the love of the sport❤️ #footweardesign #running @curatedforrunners @hartcopy @techpacksaredue #trailrunning #hoka

-“Made to be overlooked”- Disclaimer: Not an official @hoka release. Just a good ole hand cobbled concept. Like the title, this shoe is meant to be overlooked. You should forget it’s there honestly. It’s doing everything it’s meant to be for you and nothing more. My goal for this project was to boil the design down as much as possible while at the roots be comfortable, well made, and for every line to be exactly where it needed to be. Simple and sweet. Loved working on this project and happy to be sharing it to you all. Lmk if you think we should make this real;) - PC📸: @ai.shoots - Set styling: @katherine__martinez__ @rhoamcreative.studio - Midsole: @hoka Ora Primo - Design + art direction: myself #hoka @runneralerts @curatedforrunners @mental.athletic #running #footweardesign

New handmade sample to bless your feed❤️ Disclaimer- not an official @hoka project. For the past 4(ish) months, I’ve been using this project as an exercise to organically design, letting the shoe just come about with no specific rubric or pressure. The only goal was for it to be as clean, and we’ll put together as I could get, as well as preferably be something I’d like to wear just as much as any other sport style shoe off a shelf. More process to follow after I finish the rest of the pair✌️ Continue to spread the love of the sport❤️ Midsole: Hoka Ora Primo Studio: @brooklynshoespace

- CAL CALAMIA CHI CUSTOM KIT - Happy to finally be sharing a piece/collaboration my team and I put together in partnership with @calcalamia for the Chicago marathon. This was one of those projects that just felt right and the raw emotion that we felt when making it with Cal, reflected into the real world when announced. That’s not something that always gets seen the same for many projects, but I’m so thankful it did for this one. Our chosen messaging “Find Each Other”, referenced from Cal for the LGBTQ+ felt like a needed project in our current political climate. I look up to Cal just as much in their dedication to the sport, as their constant effort to make the lives they are around better. The design of the locking Pinky’s help seal the messaging we were trying to evoke being a strong but delicate bond between those we find around us. It also just happened to line up with a poem Cal wrote referencing this interaction which made it even more special. Honored for this opportunity and excited to share more projects coming along. Continue to spread the love of the sport❤️ Hoka team: @alexwithspikes @sydneysericolo + myself Set styling and photo: @mattlarson.jpg Printing: @carson.wrong @ponderosa.pdf

-UTMB 2025 - There was something that really stuck with me in one of my last days in chamonix, something @yog_it_out made the point to after greeting Heather Jackson in the archway in Chamonix after 100+ miles. Boiled down, what he said was: There are specific moments that we get to make the conscientious decision to be there for people. A moment in time where we have the choice to continue our own way, or do the small act that goes further than almost anything we can imagine. Those first few seconds after crossing a line like that, after everything endured, you are rushed with emotion, and seeing your peers there celebrating you and your achievements brings a certain level of peace not often felt. It’s our job as members of this sport to invest ourselves into every facet of it we can, especially those doing it with us. There is nothing I’ve ever done in this sport purely alone and there never will be. Thank you to all of those who make these moments happen. Continue to spread the love of our sport❤️

- SEGLA - where it began✍🏻 Born from my time spent near its namesake mountain, this shoe is rooted in one simple mission - Be designed from personal experience of movement in all forms with zero compromise in its mission for function. While challenged with its platform of 3D printed foam, the goal was to make it as serviceable as possible and stretch the medium to a new point not commonly seen on @zellerfeld + other 3D platforms. It’s all love for the sport and even when it’s being worn to elevate style, the roots will always be there when ready. Samples in production. Release date following. Can’t wait to have this in front of you all. Continue to spread the love of the sport❤️