“As you can imagine, we don’t just design, build, pack and ship a bunch of shoes to the team,” Rudy says. “We work together with the McLaren licensing department, which has very strict, yet necessary guidelines, to ensure every partner aligns with the seasonal creative direction.
“To be honest, this is not too restrictive a rulebook, and it still leaves room for our designers to be creative. That said, we need to be extremely careful with branding, logos, and especially use the exact shade of papaya on every product we create and manufacture.
“While our partnership is limited to being the team’s official footwear supplier, our design team has early access to the team kit designs, including graphics and colours… The colour blocking and striping of the team polo, for example, are clearly visible on the Aero-Active II.
“And a more personal note, I’ve been making footwear for many, many years. I have worked with top athletes across multiple sports, and while our goal is to provide the best performing footwear, it also has to look good, and I always look and make sure it does!”
While Rudy will always take great pride in their work, as a lifelong Formula 1 fan, there’s an extra layer of satisfaction in seeing the McLaren Formula 1 team wear trainers they’ve worked on.
“We take great pride in seeing our footwear worn by Lando, Oscar, and the entire McLaren Formula 1 Team,” Rudy says. “We watch all the races, the Drivers’ Parade and presentations. We follow what’s happening in the stands and in the paddock from Thursday through Sunday, and it feels amazing to be part of F1. I have been an F1 fan from as far as I can remember. It is a privilege to work with F1 and a team like McLaren.”