Art Direction
/
Styling
/
Video Production
PERFORMANCE TRAIL
(
6
)
/ About the project
Xero's brand equity is built on minimal, barefoot everyday footwear, but the hiking category demands a different kind of proof — hikers expect visible evidence of grip, durability, and trail-worthiness, the kind of technical credibility usually associated with bulkier performance brands.
The existing asset library didn't support that: there wasn't enough content showing the hiking line actually doing the work required to compete in that space or to support the brand's broader push into performance credibility.
Rather than defaulting to studio or soft lifestyle imagery, the shoot was built around real, demanding trail conditions on location in Bellingham, WA, prioritizing action and movement over posed shots — the goal was to show the shoes scrambling, running, and moving through elevation and technical terrain, so capability was demonstrated visually instead of claimed in copy.
/ Credits
Client:
Xero Shoes
Art Director:
Lexie Palmer
Photographer:
Jonndre King
Collaborators:
Capture.Share.Repeat
/ Year
2025
/ EXECUTION
Concept & Visual Direction
Location scouted and selected specifically for terrain that could authentically test and showcase the hiking line's technical range
Casting directed to find talent that could credibly move through demanding trail conditions on camera, not just pose in them
Shot list built to prioritize action and movement sequences — scrambling, running, elevation change — over lifestyle or posed content
Styling directed across all three product lines: Mesa Summit, Mesa Summit Waterproof, and New Scrambler colors
Campaign Applications
Photography & video — Collaborated with Capture.Share.Repeat (producer/videographer) and in-house photography to execute the full shoot, generating technical action content across the hiking line
/ RESULTS
Campaign launching in July 2026. Performance reporting coming soon.
OTHER
PROJECTS
Get in touch