I Filled a Pair of Heels With Potato Wedges for KFC (Yes, Really)
Share
As KFC fans around the country know, they recently brought back their prized potato wedges, and they asked me to create something that would stop thumbs mid-scroll. Subtle wasn’t on the menu. The concept? A pair of towering, clear acrylic wedge heels- each literally housing a real potato wedge inside. Wild? Absolutely. Impossible? Not if I had anything to say about it.
Making the Internet Stare
The shoe needed to scream KFC, celebrate the return of the potato wedges, and look good enough for a full GRWM reveal. I airbrushed the clear wedges with the KFC logo, Colonel Sanders himself, and additional aesthetically branded details to round them out. I then finished the branding by painting the insoles with the classic red-and-white KFC stripes. The star, of course, was the single potato wedge “floating” inside each heel; a tiny monument to crispy, artistic glory.
Engineering a Floating Potato (Seriously)
Finding a base heel was the first challenge. I needed a very tall, clear acrylic wedge that could be deconstructed and rebuilt without cracking. Once I sourced the right pair, I had to figure out how to open the heel without destroying it. Nerve-wracking is an understatement because I truly only had one shot.
Once I successfully and carefully opened up the wedge itself, I needed to figure out how I was going to suspend the potato mid-air. My first thought was resin, but I’ve never used it, and this project timeline didn’t allow for an “oops”. I pivoted to clear acrylic dowels, cut to size and permanently glued into the base, so the potato wedges could be skewered and appear suspended in air. That meant days of glue testing to find a bond that was not only clear, but extremely strong.
Side note: Making multiple trips to my local KFC to keep fresh wedges on hand for tests and final assembly was a challenge in itself to keep from eating them all. (I may have failed on that side of things, they are SO good!)
The Content: From Workshop to GRWM
I filmed the entire build and painting process (what kind of artist in this day and age would I be if I didn’t?), then transitioned the edit into a GRWM: red frilly dress, on-brand accessories, and the big heel reveal. The shoes looked outrageous in the best way.
Confession time: walking in these skyscraper wedges was so hard. As a self-confessed sneakerhead girl, I’m all for comfort and close to the ground footwear. And between the sheer height and my brain screaming “there’s a delicate potato wedge in each heel” every step was a careful, controlled glide. It was stressful (for me and the potatoes I think), but the footage was so worth it, and the wedges stayed perfectly in place!
Why This Brand Project Was One of My Craziest (and Favorite)
This custom was a mix of painting, prop-making, and fashion, with a dash of food styling. It pushed my problem solving and demanded a flawless first try. That’s the kind of creative pressure I love: make it iconic, make it functional, and make it on camera. Not to mention the absolute wild concept itself. Real food inside a heel? That’s my flavor of crazy.
KFC wanted a show-stopper to celebrate a fan favorite, and we delivered a pair of heels the internet won’t forget.
Want a Launch Piece People Can’t Ignore?
From wild one-offs to limited edition capsules, I create brand heavy customs that are engineered for press, social, and unforgettable content. Send me an email and let’s turn your product into a moment.