Signal Steps

Signal Steps by David Ordoñez Lacayo is a sculptural meditation on coded identity — where form, pattern, and symbol converge in a single, wearable shape. This shoe is rendered in warm brown tones and overlaid with hand-painted patches that echo traditional Guatemalan textiles, layered with bold, silver-like metal appliqués. Each glyph — arrows, spirals, lightning bolts — feels like a visual frequency from ancestral memory.
The asymmetrical design and sharp color contrasts invite closer inspection. Every surface is intentional: from the etched sole edge to the brightly textured color fields. A symbol-heavy composition gives this shoe the appearance of motion, even at rest — as if every line points forward through time, culture, and expression.