What this challenge is
Most custom shoe sites ask you for a print-ready file and a template. We built the opposite: you drop in a flat image and the designer cuts it across the upper, tongue, heel, toe cap and collar automatically, so you see where every part of your artwork lands. That means the entry bar here is not skill. It is whether you would wear the result.
There is no entry fee, no account and nothing to download. Your image is processed in your browser and is not uploaded to our servers while you design.
- Opened
- 19 Oct 2026
- Closes
- 26 Oct, 23:59 PT
- Winner announced
- 28 Oct 2026
- Entry fee
- None
How to enter
- Open the designer at bukefootwear.com/designer and pick any silhouette on the site. Every style is eligible.
- Upload any image you have the rights to. A photo from your camera roll, a scan of a notebook page, your own logo. Make sure the printable areas look right before you go further — the preview shows each panel separately.
- Send us the screenshot. Post it publicly with
#BUKEDesignChallengeand tag@bukestudiohq, drop it in the comments of any challenge post, or send it to us as a direct message. Direct-message entries stay private — we do not republish anything without asking first.
One entry per person is plenty, but you can send more than one. We read every single one.
What you win
Winner — one pair, made and shipped free
We produce the winning design on the silhouette it was made for and send it to you at no cost, shipping included. Any style on the site is eligible, up to $98. This is a physical pair, not a voucher or a discount.
Two runners-up — 40% off any pair
Shopify discount codes DESIGN40A and DESIGN40B, one use each, valid from 26 October to 30 November 2026.
Everyone who enters — 15% off
Code DESIGN15, one use per customer, valid 19 October to 30 November 2026. Sent by direct message once we have seen your entry.
How entries are judged
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Would you wear it | Weighted highest. If the result makes you want to put it on immediately, it is doing the job — this is not a technical drawing contest. |
| How it sits on the panels | Whether the artwork is cut awkwardly, misaligned, or landed in a way that loses the point of the image. The preview shows you this before you submit, so you can adjust. |
| That it is yours | The image must be your own work, your own photograph, or something you have the right to use. See the rules below. |
Judging happens once, on 28 October, by us. It is a judgment call, not a vote, so we are publishing the criteria in advance to keep it transparent.
Rules you need to read
Copyright and acceptable entries
- Your entry must be your own original artwork or photograph, or material you hold a licence to use. By entering you confirm this.
- Not accepted under any circumstances: sports team crests and club badges, third-party brand logos, anime, manga and film or game characters, celebrity likenesses, and photographs taken by someone else.
- We will not judge, reply to, or acknowledge entries that infringe someone else's rights, and we remove them on sight. Printing a protected design is a real legal problem for us, not a gray area.
- We need no commercial rights to your work. Winners confirm in writing that BUKE may produce one pair for their own use. Nothing else, and no resale.
- If the winner cannot be reached within 72 hours of the announcement, the prize passes to the next entry.
Questions people actually ask
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need to know how to draw shoes? | No. You need an image and four minutes. The designer handles how the artwork fits the panels — that is the entire point of it. |
| Do I have to buy anything? | No. Entering, and winning, costs nothing. The winner pays no shipping either. |
| Can I enter with a photo I found online? | Only if you have the right to use it. Wallpaper and image-search results almost never qualify. Your own photos always do. |
| Will you repost my entry? | Only with your permission. Direct-message entries are never published by default. |
| What if my country is not listed for shipping? | If you win and we cannot ship to your address, we will tell you before the announcement rather than after. Shipping destinations are listed on the shipping page. |
Start here
The designer is free, needs no account, and works on a phone. Upload something, look at it on the shoe, screenshot it, and send it over.
Open the designer → · See designs we have already printed · Browse the silhouette range