CODE Footwear: Packaging and
Customer Experience

Founder of CODE footwear Gentry Humphrey is a godfather of the sneaker culture. His 30+ years of work in Nike/Jordan played a big part in defining the ‘culture of cool’ when it comes to millennial sneakerheads. Known for his ability to create innovative concepts, compelling stories, and unique visual expressions, Gentry brought a refreshing blend of sneakers, sports, art, and fashion to the casual footwear world. Equally as important, Gentry was driven to use the CODE platform to give back and help young creatives gain experiences and opportunities in the footwear industry.

Our kickoff meeting with the CODE team revealed that they already had a pretty strong core identity developed. It was clear that they had put a lot of thought and effort into the foundational DNA of the branding as it related to the inspiration and story around the logo. They also had just started to think about how their branding might appear on product, in print, and online. Beyond that, nothing else really existed for the brand. This is where Tandem came in...

Our role was to take the ingredients and craft the brand experience–developed through packaging but then executed throughout the entire brand landscape: website, social media, packaging, and print.

Part 01: Structure Study

For these structure concepts we wanted to explore the process of unboxing and how to make it thoughtful, memorable, and innovative. These concepts were developed in tonal grey scale to really focus on the structures themselves, with basic materials and finishes earmarked for discussion.

Part 02: Graphic Concepts

After reviewing each structure concept and deciding on our picks, we then chose 2 to start working with how graphics, messaging, and overall aesthetic might take shape. In both versions, we wanted to run with one of CODE’S main brand statements: be overt; be covert. Each version features a slick, understated exterior with a loud, vibrant interior treatment.

Part 03: Sampling

Our workflow allows us to be able to go from concept renderings to sampling seamlessly. After working with CODE team to refine the packaging and messaging, the elements were prepped and sent off for sampling—the first step on the road to production.