After the success of the MIAMI vibes: AI Footwear Design Challenge 2024, the world’s first competition of its kind, the MIAMI Shoe Museum Research Center is thrilled to present the highly anticipated second edition. This year, we honor a cultural icon who dedicated her life to the arts: the legendary "Queen of Salsa," Celia Cruz. In collaboration with the  Celia Cruz Foundation.

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Celia Cruz’s birth, the MIAMI Shoe Museum Research Center invites designers to reimagine her iconic cantilever shoes using AI. Celia was renowned for her electrifying music and her flamboyant, fearless fashion, which included her bold, gravity-defying footwear—an essential aspect of her style.

What would Celia Cruz’s shoes look like today? This challenge invites designers to envision the future by blending Celia’s electrifying spirit with cutting-edge AI-driven design. Participants will reimagine her iconic, gravity-defying footwear in a digital landscape, pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology while staying true to her bold, unmistakable style.

The winners will receive a Platinum Membership to the MIAMI Shoe Museum Research Center and a unique opportunity: their design will be featured (in digital format) in a special exhibition dedicated to Celia Cruz at THE SHOE VAULT, MIAMI Shoe Museum's Research Center. The exhibition will run from October to December 2025, with a special highlight during Miami Art Basel Week (December 5–7, 2025).

The winning designs will also be featured in the exhibition’s digital catalog, a special edition dedicated to the Celia Cruz exhibit, published by the MIAMI Shoe  Museum.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be 18 years or older to participate.

• A nonrefundable submission fee of US$55 + tax per design proposal is required at checkout. Applications submitted without payment of the fee will not be considered.

• Participants may apply individually or as part of a team, with a maximum of 3 designers per team. Each team or individual may submit one design per application.

Judging Criteria:

Creativity and Originality, a Celia Cruz-inspired aesthetic, Sustainability, AI Integration and Use of Technology, Functionality, Storytelling, and Concept.

Participants must present:

• Concept Proposal: A detailed concept note explaining the design philosophy, how AI is incorporated into the creative process, and any specific challenges addressed through AI.

• Video Presentation

The designer must present the design proposal in a short video (2 min MAX). Subtitles must be provided if the video is in a language other than English.

• Digital Renderings/Prototypes: Participants should submit digital renderings 2D or 3D, which may include AI-generated elements, and they should include at least four of the six important views of the design (Please ensure that files are optimized for easy viewing and can be opened directly without requiring a download due to large file size):

Top View (Plan View)

Side View (Lateral and Medial)

Front View

Rear View (Heel View)

Bottom View (Outsole View)

3/4 View (Isometric View)

Participants must provide a link to a Google Drive folder containing all the required judging materials. Please ensure that the Google Drive folder includes only the information specifically requested by the competition team for review.

Participants must confirm that they are the sole creators and owners of the submitted design proposal. By submitting your entry, you acknowledge that the design is your original work and that you hold all rights to its intellectual property. Also, you agree that the design hasn't been copied, published, or plagiarized from any other source.

Jury Panel

Our distinguished jury panel features industry leaders and visionaries. They will assess the innovative submissions...More