From hand-painted sketches in his Istanbul studio to runways in Paris, Safa Şahin is creating a completely new sneaker culture – crazy and wild. An unapologetic maximalist, Safa Şahin creates unique and unforgettable designs for his projects, be that massive cheese soles or bright neon colours. Under the creative direction of Olivier Rousteing at Balmain – where he was given free rein to ‘go nuts’ – Şahin fuses the hand-sketched with technological concepting. His signature ‘variable performance’ ethos isn’t about following fashion’s fast lane; it’s about daring you to rethink what a sneaker can – and should – be. Now, Safa shares why he chose creative freedom over commercial safety nets, how he battles wasteful luxury practices, and the driving passion that keeps him sketching midnight ideas – and chasing tomorrow’s next great sneaker story.
hube: How did you decide to become a shoe designer?
Safa Şahin: My older brother studied in Istanbul – when I visited him, his roommate was a shoe designer. He made unique silver slippers and drew so well. I was a graffiti artist then and thought, ‘This is cool – I want to do that’. After high school, I joined a footwear programme.
h: Your recent Balmain sneaker collection disrupts the very idea of what luxury footwear should be. Critics are calling it wearable performance art. Do you intentionally unsettle the established order – or is it simply an honest outgrowth of your creative impulse?
SS: Actually, I try to make them as crazy and variable as possible – my style comes from fine-arts painting. I studied footwear design to learn total creative freedom in product design. In art, nobody judges you; in product, everyone judges. Sneakers must perform, but I also want a fresh silhouette and an art-piece quality. That’s my ideal, and it’s how I live – always bringing new, fresh, unexpected ideas to footwear and accessories.
h: You’ve been known to transform ‘cheese block soles’ into surreal, almost Björk-inspired silhouettes. Was there ever a moment when you nearly crossed the line into the absurd, and how did you recalibrate your vision to keep it edgy yet wearable?
SS: It all depends on the company. At Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy gave me a little room – just a bit of craziness. But at Balmain, Olivier Rousteing let me go completely wild. He believed in me, so I layered matte and shiny elements, gold, leather, all together. That freedom gave me unlimited creativity
h: Is there a material you love working with most?
SS: I love form and nylon materials – honestly, those. Four colours: I like low tones with pops of fluorescent orange or polarising hues. I adore every detail.
h: There’s a raw, almost rebellious energy in your work that seems to blur the lines between high fashion and street subculture. How do you reconcile this apparent defiance with Balmain’s storied legacy, and are you deliberately courting controversy?
SS: For sure. When I first met him, Olivier Rousteing loved my portfolio and said, ‘If you choose us, I’ll keep you free to make crazy stuff’. That was the tipping point. I chose Balmain to push my boundaries – limited by price but not by creativity.
h: In an era when fashion is increasingly a battleground for identity and political commentary, do you see your unconventional sneaker designs as a critique of a sanitised, formulaic luxury market? What uncomfortable truths are you trying to expose?
SS: As an artist, I express messages in my paintings – I’ve had five solo exhibitions. Sometimes the message is simply ‘be a good person’, or whatever the viewer takes from it. On the runway, you can use direct slogans, but in my shoes, the message is subtler.
h: Your work has evolved from traditional shoemaking to a digital, almost sculptural practice. With tools that let you iterate designs at breakneck speed, how have recent technological advances both liberated your creative process and forced you to confront the limits of digital aesthetics?
SS: Definitely – I follow new technologies. I’ve used AI for two years to support my ideas. It’s not traditional: I sketch by hand, then experiment with AI to generate concepts. If an idea sparks, I file it for future development.
h: Balmain’s brand heritage is synonymous with opulence and tradition – yet your sneakers scream defiance. Have you ever faced pushback from within the industry for being ‘too experimental’, and if so, how do you justify your radical departures to a legacy audience?
SS: It happens. Sometimes brands ask for traditional basics, and I always deliver five or six extra ideas – more elegant, more different. That’s why they hire me. If I did only the basics, I wouldn’t need to be there.
h: What’s your biggest inspiration?
SS: It changes – science-fiction movies inspire me most, but I also love nature, flowers, art, stories, design moments. If something has a story, I want to be part of it.
h: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring shoe designers?
SS: Passion matters most – don’t expect money up front. If you love it, the money will follow. Today everyone chases quick cash; instead, live your dream. I’m designing even in a coffee shop, 24/7.
Images courtesy of SAFA SAHIN