Put Your Best Foot Forward

Its been Hunger Games Madness this month as the world waits for the movie to come out March 23rd! To ease the waiting, I am preparing to host my “tribute feast” dinner party (as featured in chapter 21 of the book) on the night of the premier, planning my over-the-top capitol look to wear that night and reading the online magazine Capitol Couture. Most recently, I have been sketching for the Capitol Couture Stylists Wanted contest!

For those of you unfamiliar with the contest: a stylist will be chosen to represent each district through a series of challenges, where the first is to design a shoe for your district. Before we get started, lets look at some of the winning designs from district 1(luxury), 6 (transportation) and 12 (coal).

Although I would be honored to represent any district I have my eyes on District 3, 4 and 5 (enlarged) as my top picks. Since I am a bit of a hunger-games-aholic, I decided to design a shoe for all the remaining stylist spots. So here are my shoe sketches in declining order of preference, where the districts I would most like to represent are listed last.

As one of the poorer districts, we don’t have much to work with for shoe making in district 9. This textured pump is covered with pieces of grain laid criss-cross and a statement piece on the back of the heel.

Spoiler Alert We may not have much in district 11, but we do have family… well until our children are stolen from us by the capitol. This simple sky high pump was inspired by small kids who spend their childhoods climbing tree’s to harvest while the flower honors Rue, and how Katniss adorned her body in the 74th annual hunger games

In district 8 we spend our lives slaving away to create beautiful textiles that the capitol takes for granted, while we are left with only the basics. They try to stifle our creativity, but we create heel hight out of spools and pin cushions, add polka dot patches and add edge with pins and needles.

 District 2: Masonry (& defense)

District 2 specializes in stone but is also where the weapons on created and the peacekeepers are trained, i found that more interesting then stone so focused on the defense aspect.

Inspired by ancient armor, this lace up bootie is dangerously striking and fashionably functional. The platform stone soles (shown in white) are removable, as do the metal blades on the heel and pointed toe. These pieces can be combined together to create a defensive decor for the fighting fashionista.

We cage our animals in district 10, but we are the ones living in a pen. We have to be as tough as our barbed wire mary-jane pumps in order to survive the horrors the capitol bestows upon us.

This district known for producing lumber and paper is home to one of my favorite hunger games characters, Joanna Mason (you will meet her in book 2). 

Created from excess wood, these platform sandals with paper tassels allow us to stand tall and strong on pieces of our own lumber.

And now for my top 3 districts: the ones I hope to be representing!

(shown in declining order of preference… 3, 2 ,1)

District 4 is especially close to my heart, because it is home to my favorite hg character, Finnick Odair (you will meet him in book 2). 

In district 4, water is our world. So we created our under-the-see inspired shoe with fishing flair. The shoe stands tall on a shell stacked heel that we died coral red, while the platform pump is a mini-fish tank, this one is full of water and waves but anything from the sea could find this sole as its home. The rest of the shoe is constructed from blue fish scales and caged with broken fishing lines died red. 

 District 5: Power

All would be dark without the power and electricity of my second pick for a district to represent: district 5.

Its incredibly ironic that our district is known for power, when we have no power at all. But we can use our bright ideas to create electric shoes. We light up the night in neon shoes pumped by broken and reinforced light bulbs that glow in the dark. 

As one of the wealthier districts known for producing electronics, District 3 is my first pick to style for!

Stand tall in this electric blue heel with a gear platform. In district 3, we turn trash to treasure by adorning the stiletto heel of this shoe with gear duds and covering the pump in pieces of broken television glass. Although we are one of the wealthier districts, we still secretly seek to be free of the capitols vicious reign and wear the word “freedom” under our feet where no one can see.

Although the citizens of Panem have to hold their tongues if they wish to keep them, you can voice your opinion by commenting! I would love to hear the pick you would love to step out in. 

disclaimer: the shoe designs for district 1, 6 and 12 are not my own. they are the winners chosen by capitol couture. all other sketch images are Courtney originals.