STUDENT Sam Pearce is going back to the future with a new 1980s-inspired sports shoe.

He has won a slot to showcase his ‘Rewind’ basketball style boots at a national fashion show at the NEC in Birmingham from February 21 to 23.

Former Thomas Hardye pupil Sam, aged 24, from Martinstown, is one of a handful of students chosen to showcase their designs at the MODA Footwear show.

Sam, who attends De Montfort University in Leicester, was chosen after taking part in a ‘History in the Making’ project for final year footwear design students.

The brief was to create shoes to bring the rich heritage of the footwear industry into the 21st Century.

Sam said he was inspired by his love of sport and groundbreaking designs from the 1980s – including the DeLorean sports car of the Back To The Future film fame.

He said: “My Rewind collection aims to capture the forward-thinking of the 1980s, taking inspiration from the film Tron and the Delorean car.

“Both were ground-breaking at the time.

“Linking the shoe to 1980s sport, I designed the sole with influences of a basketball trainer of that era, and a rubber sole plate on a flat EVA sole unit.”

Sam was among six students who were selected by a panel of industry experts to show their innovative designs at the show.

Sam studied to sixth form level at the Thomas Hardy School before playing football for a club called CD Javea in Costa Blanca, Spain.

Sam said: “I’m delighted. It’s a great opportunity to have my work seen by the industry, to learn from the experience and use it as the next step towards my career as a footwear designer.”