The Five-Buckle Boot: A One-of-a-Kind Award That Honors and Inspires

Project Brief

Building strong relationships with our customers and supporting their success is a cornerstone trait of DI Labs. In this case, a customer we’d served for over 7 years approached us before an annual company event with a special request. They were looking for a one-of-a-kind award for an admired and respected employee who was retiring soon. The award would be modeled after the employee’s unique philosophy about hard work which he referred to as “a five-buckle day.” The concept was passed on to him from his grandfather and symbolized a willingness to strap on your boots and be ready to do hard things.

The “Five-Buckle Boot” award was imagined by our client but made real by our team of creatives, 3D modelers, and engineers. The process began by 3D scanning an actual five-buckle boot, then enhancing and customizing it with unique artwork, a quote, and logo graphics. Each detail represents a meaningful aspect of the leadership qualities it honors. The result was an inspiring, highly impactful, and memorable award for the employee and a powerful, culture-building event for the entire company. The final award was printed with Nylon PA12 on our full-color Multi-Jet Fusion 580 and then finished using our AMT PostPro. It stands 11” tall.