SOLVITA ICON — Knight Move Footwear Collection

SOLVITA ICON is a statement footwear collection by Solvita Melne, a self-taught independent footwear designer from Latvia. Created for women who are bold, elegant and not afraid to be seen, the collection transforms the symbolic language of chess and playing cards into wearable expressions of identity, intuition and personal power. The collection has received international recognition as a London Design Awards Silver Winner.

The collection includes three realized boot designs: Queen of Cards, Knight Move and Green Strategy. Each design represents a different kind of move — emotional, strategic and unexpected. Queen of Cards is rooted in playing-card symbolism, family memories and the idea of connection across generations. Green Strategy explores chess as a language of intuition, structure and strategic strength. Knight Move is the hero piece.

In chess, the knight is the only piece that does not move in a straight line. It crosses boundaries, jumps over obstacles and finds its own path. This idea became the foundation for Knight Move — a boot created for a woman who does not follow the expected trajectory, but chooses her own direction with courage, intelligence and quiet power.

Knight Move is crafted from natural leather in cream and deep brown tones. The graphic grid is laser-marked onto the leather after testing different leather options. The boot is size 39, with an approximate shaft height of 43 cm measured from the heel. Its 8 cm sculptural heel is a bronze-toned 3D-printed horse-shaped figure, specially ordered from France with the requirement that it had to function as a real heel, not only as decoration. In Latvia, the WIMS master reinforced the heel with an internal metal structure for stability, strength and wearability.

The design combines sculptural impact with practical refinement. Gold-toned hardware, an adjustable strap, precise lines and custom-made construction support both elegance and comfort. Each pair is made individually, taking into account the client’s measurements and needs.

SOLVITA ICON is about intelligent movement, visible confidence and the courage to make one’s own move.