Between heritage and the future: Marco Simonetti and the architecture of footwear design

Designing meaning into everything he does, Marco Simonetti has turned his studio, RAL7000, into a locus of experimentation within the global footwear design landscape. Born and raised in Italy’s Marche region, a cradle of craftsmanship, and trained at Polimoda in Florence, Simonetti has spent nearly two decades bridging tradition and technology, artisan know-how and industrial precision. Through collaborations with brands like Adidas Originals, Fear of God, and Nike Jordan, he’s defined a new footwear design language where shoes act as architecture for the body—sculptural, performative, and deeply human.

For hube, he reflects on building a shared language with brands, the emotional weight of design, and how RAL7000 continues to expand beyond footwear into sound, storytelling, and new cultural legacies.

h: What first drew you into footwear specifically? Do you see shoes as a natural extension of architecture, sculpture, or even performance?

MS: What first drew me into footwear was the realization that a shoe is never just an accessory. It’s where function and expression collide. Growing up in the Marche region, surrounded by artisans, and later traveling extensively to China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brazil for product development, I came to understand that shoes are not only designed, they’re engineered. They must support the body, enhance the wearing experience, and perform while also serving as one of the most personal forms of self-expression. After all, everyone chooses how to present themselves to the world, starting from their shoes.

For me, footwear lives at the crossroads of disciplines: the structure of architecture, the sensuality of sculpture, and the dynamism of performance. A shoe shapes the way we move, but it also tells the world who we are. That constant balance between utility and identity, heritage and innovation, is what keeps me endlessly fascinated and why footwear remains my chosen language of design.

h: Has there been a project that felt like a true turning point, something that pushed you into new territory, maybe even intimidated you at first?

MS: There have been two projects that I consider true turning points in my nearly twenty-year career. The first came in the early 2010s, when I was just beginning in footwear consultancy. MSGM—the contemporary Italian fashion brand founded by Massimo Giorgetti in partnership with Paoloni Group—entrusted me with building its newly launched footwear division. Leading both design and development, while mobilizing my network of suppliers and factories globally, was an intimidating responsibility at that stage of my career, but it became an incredible opportunity to grow and strengthen my management skills.

The second, in 2021, was the Adidas Originals x RAL7000STUDIO collaboration. That project represented a decisive leap in both scale and visibility, giving my partners Michael Cutini, Mattias Gollin (formerly co-founder) and me the opportunity to formally establish RAL7000STUDIO. Working with such an iconic brand challenged us to bring together creativity, innovation, and technical excellence at the highest level. It wasn’t just about designing sneakers. It was about translating a global identity into a product while staying true to our studio’s DNA. The experience pushed us to refine our methods, expand our network, and demonstrate that an independent design studio from the Marche region could successfully operate on a truly international stage.

Both projects pushed me far outside my comfort zone, tested my limits, and ultimately became milestones that not only accelerated my professional growth but also crystallized the vision and identity of the studio I lead today.

h: When you collaborate with a brand, how do you establish a shared language? And how do you ensure that your own voice remains distinct within that dialogue?

MS: When I connect with a new brand that wants to collaborate, I think of it as learning a new language. The first step is always to listen to their history, their values, their unspoken codes and their needs. Just as important is building a genuine relationship with the in-house team, because every collaboration is ultimately about sharing something between our studio and their world. That human connection is what lays the foundation for a long journey together.

From there, a shared language emerges through curiosity, respect, and constant dialogue, from the first sketches to prototypes to the final product. I also see it as my role to bring fresh air into every project, offering an external perspective that isn’t shaped or limited by the brand’s internal processes season after season. That distance allows us to spot opportunities differently, to challenge routines, and to unlock new creative directions.

At the same time, our own voice remains distinct because it is rooted in a very specific identity: the artisanal heritage combined with a global perspective shaped by years of international collaborations with brands like FEAR OF GOD, KITH, NIKE JORDAN and AUTRY to name a few. That mix of local craftsmanship and global vision is something I carry into every project, ensuring that while the product speaks the brand’s language, it still carries the unmistakable imprint of our studio.

h: In your view, what defines good design today? Is it material innovation, emotional resonance, sustainability, or something less tangible?

MS: What defines good design today is less tangible than in the past. It’s not just about form, function, or even innovation alone. For me, it’s the ability to create meaning. Innovation and emotional resonance are essential, but the real measure is whether a product tells a story, whether it sparks a dialogue between past and future, between maker and wearer, between culture and technology.

Good design today must go beyond solving a problem. It should create an experience. It should feel personal and universal at the same time. The best design is not only seen or used, it is lived and becomes part of someone’s identity.

That’s why I believe it has to sit at the intersection of emotion, responsibility, and imagination. A product may be innovative or sustainable, but if it doesn’t touch people’s lives in a meaningful way, it risks becoming just another object. True design is not just consumed, it is experienced.

h: You also run RAL7000 Sounds. What connects music and making for you, and has sound ever been the starting point for a collection?

MS: RAL7000SOUNDS was born as the audio division of RAL7000STUDIO, but it quickly evolved into a community-driven platform connecting producers, creatives, and enthusiasts through music. My relationship with sound goes way back. I started DJing with my brother at around 12 years old, spinning records on the iconic Technics SL-1210. From the very beginning, music was a way for me to explore rhythm, layering, and atmosphere—the same principles I later found myself applying in design.

Sound has never been the direct starting point for a collection, but it’s always present in our studio. From curating DJ sets to producing original tracks, music creates the environment in which ideas take shape. It’s part of the atmosphere, one of the essential ingredients in the final recipe.

What excites me about RAL7000SOUNDS is that it allows us to explore this dimension more openly, building a bridge between design, culture, and sound. Looking ahead, the project is also becoming a service we provide to the brands we collaborate with—creating immersive sound experiences for product launches and activations, in synergy with the strategic marketing and communication services we already offer as a studio.

For me, RAL7000SOUNDS is another language of expression—one that keeps our creative ecosystem alive, dynamic, and deeply connected.

h: What about RAL LEGACY? What plan do you have moving forward?

MS: RAL LEGACY is our experimental playground—a space born from the urge to rewrite the visual grammar of legacy garments, footwear, and accessories. It is fueled by artistic rebellion, yet grounded in respect for heritage. We begin with familiar archetypes and twist them into unexpected forms that resonate with the language of contemporary culture.

From the very beginning, our debut explored footwear not simply as a product, but as a progressive design experience—a stage to challenge conventions and reimagine what ‘classic’ can mean today. Moving forward, our ambition is to expand RAL LEGACY into a platform where we can test ideas more radically, stretch the boundaries of materiality and form, and collaborate with groundbreaking brands, visionary stylists, and globally recognized musicians who share this experimental spirit. At the same time, we want to bring our community closer to this process by giving them direct access to our creations through our e-commerce, transforming RAL LEGACY into not only a space for experimentation, but also for connection.

h: How does AI fit within your practice, and where do you see its real potential in shaping the next wave of design?

MS: I see AI as a powerful tool to enhance the creative process, not to replace it. In our practice, it acts as an accelerator: visualizing concepts at incredible speed, testing iterations instantly, and opening unexpected pathways that might otherwise take weeks to explore. Yet, as powerful as it is, AI remains just that—a tool, much like Photoshop was in its time. Creativity is still the spark that ignites the fire and AI simply helps the flame spread faster.

The true potential of AI in design lies in the freedom it creates for imagination. By automating the mechanical parts of the process, it gives us more space to focus on vision, storytelling, and emotional resonance, the elements that truly connect with people. I don’t believe AI will ever replace human creativity, but I do believe it can amplify it, enabling designers to push boundaries, compress timelines, and reimagine what’s possible.

h: What feels most urgent in design culture right now? Is there a conversation you wish the industry would finally address?

MS: For me, it’s re-establishing a clear and honest link between product design, perceived value, and final price. Today’s consumer is hyper-aware. They know what they want and what they’re willing to invest to get it. The era when brands could dictate desire without accountability is over. You can no longer fool the end consumer, and major fashion brands will need to adapt if they want to regain the market share lost in recent seasons.

Looking ahead, I see design evolving into more defined clusters—products created with greater precision to meet specific needs, whether lifestyle or performance. The one-size-fits-all approach is fading. The future lies in designing with intention: creating products that are not only desirable, but also meaningful and truly relevant to the way people live. On the performance side, brands like SATISFY and PAS NORMAL STUDIOS are already embodying this vision. For me, the conversation the industry needs to have is about honesty, specificity, and value—principles that will define the next chapter of design.

h: How do you balance creating something that feels of-the-moment without it slipping into the disposable?

MS: Balancing relevance with longevity is one of the biggest challenges in design today. For me, the key is to design with layers. Something must capture the spirit of the moment, but it also needs a deeper foundation that allows it to endure once the trend cycle fades.

I try to build that balance by anchoring each project in strong storytelling, thoughtful material choices, and a sense of cultural resonance. Trends alone can feel disposable, but when they are filtered through heritage, craft, and intention, they become part of a bigger narrative.

In other words, the surface may speak to the present, but the structure must belong to the future. That’s how a product remains alive over time—it carries the energy of ‘now’ without losing its relevance tomorrow.