OTBT Names Winner of First-Ever Shoe Design Contest

OTBT — Off The Beaten Track — a women’s travel-inspired footwear brand, has announced the winner of its first-ever shoe design competition.

Malynda Raker, a junior fashion merchandising student at Kent State University, designed a shoe upper with adjustable straps for easy access. It picks up a platform wedge and OTBT’s signature comfort-driven footbed.

“The inspiration behind my design was the desire to design a shoe that is accessible for every woman,” said Raker. “It has a Velcro closure on every strap, making it fully adjustable. This desire for comfort as well as fashion fits perfectly with OTBT’s mission of making comfortable shoes for the adventurous woman. These are a prefect shoe for the mom who has to run after her child, as well as a college student like myself who has to walk to every destination, and anywhere in between.”

As the winner, Raker receives a $500 cash prize and the chance to collaborate with OTBT brand designers on her style for inclusion in its spring ’18 collection.

“Design can be art with great aesthetics, but great design is often simple or practical, and that’s what makes it complicated,” said Todd Partridge, chief design for OTBT’s parent company, Consolidated Shoe Co. “Malynda’s design is a good example of meeting those challenges.”

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