Ex-Yeezy Designer Talks 500 Tactical Boot, Sunday Service, and Monstrous Yeezy Slides
You may not be familiar with the name Cesar Idrobo, but his sneakers have no doubt stomped across your social media feed. The Footwear Head Pattern and Sample Maker at for nearly five years, Idrobo worked on everything from Sunday Service shoes and apparel to the Tactical Boot – his swan song in Calabasas. He even designed the king-sized Yeezy Slides for the music video, . As part of our rolling coverage for , we linked up with the Colombian design polymath to chat about his role at Yeezy, shopping in Medellín, and how to empower the next generation of Hispanic artists.
Tell us about growing up in Colombia. Did you have a strong connection to sneakers as a kid?
I didn't. A few moments here and there. One memory I often think about is seeing a kid wearing the new R9 World Cup soccer cleats and I couldn't believe it. I was in shock that someone could get their hands on it. The only way to get cool shoes was if someone from the US sent you a pair. Little did I know, I would later on work alongside during my time at Yeezy – who is the designer of the shoe. A very touching moment. As a kid, I saw sneakers as something I needed, but not something I wanted. However, during high school, I started to pay attention to what I was wearing – brands, etc.
How does Colombia inspire you as a designer and shoe maker? Have you found opportunities to explore your heritage through your work?
My upbringing in Colombia inspires me to create in a way that showcases my work ethic. From the output to the quality of work, I want people to be in shock that one person can accomplish a lot in a short period of time. I've found ways to explore my heritage, but not in visual ways. More like a philosophical approach. When it comes to aesthetics, I attempt to collage different cultures in my work. I'm from Colombia, but I spent a lot of time watching Japanese cartoons. So, once I start combining elements from different places, it usually yields interesting results.
Do you have any favourite stores you love visiting when you head home?
I haven't been home in a while, but I really enjoy going to downtown Medellín to a place called El Palacio Del Tenis (The Shoe Palace). It's a building with 400 shoe vendors. I also like ‘Punto Blanco’, which is a clothing brand that sells very nice pieces.
Can you take us behind the scenes working with Yeezy? We’d love to hear the background on designing the apparel and footwear for Sunday Service!
It was an amazing experience to be a part of the Sunday Service initiative because working on wardrobe exposed me to doing things outside my comfort zone. We had an amazing team, from the lead stylist to the factories and sewers in the atelier that made all the madness possible.
Working on wardrobe was my second full-time job that fell in my lap, but I was happy to do it. I'd work on shoes Monday through Thursday, and then Thursday through Sunday on Sunday Service. The creative team would start conversations at the beginning of each week, and I would support the lead stylist in visualising ideas doing colour trials, wardrobe or stage renderings. We tried to get approvals by Friday at the latest so that we could start developing, making and delivering a wardrobe for 120+ people Sunday morning. I loved doing Sunday Service because it was rewarding in the sense that you could see all the work you've been doing by the end of the week.
The Yeezy 500 Tactical Boot is wild! Can you break down the design process and inspiration for us? What were the main challenges?
It was a fairly simple and quick process. There was no inspiration. It was more like an ongoing experiment of ‘what ifs’, which is all it took to create the 500 Tactical Boot. I kept putting 500 soles in different military tactical boots until we nailed it.
What other models were you most proud of while working in Calabasas?
Many I can't mention, but the most memorable ones were the oversized Yeezy slides for the 'I Love It' music video.
Talk to us about some of the more innovative materials you were working with at Yeezy.
Nothing outside this world. All the conceptual work I did had a touch of reality because otherwise it would have been fantasy.
How can the sneaker industry do more to empower young Hispanic artists and designers? Any advice for kids starting out?
Take the right steps towards the profession and career you want to create. Seek the right preparation whether it is college, art classes, or private courses to equip you with the tools that you need to make ideas happen. Do whatever it takes to learn how to make something. There are a lot of creatives that stop at the design stage, but put in the work to continue the vision throughout the manufacturing process and once it hits the market. Take everything you do one step further and make it a reality. Remember, there are no right answers or mistakes. There is only make.
And finally, what does the future of footwear look like?
Brighter I hope! The future relies on having simple conversations. I envision a collaborative world where no one is gatekeeping great ideas from each other and we can move the industry forward. I hope brands take more chances on upcoming talent. There is so much new energy out there waiting to be utilised in a positive way to transform people's minds in terms of what footwear can become. I would love to work with brands that are willing to challenge the status quo and help them create the new classics. Let the old styles rest in peace! There is so much we can explore to the point where shoes might evolve into other forms we never thought of.