Sydney cobbler gives Superman the boot
After 11 months of sketching, developing and creating some 30 pairs of boots for the title character, Superman, McDonald is now geared to see his creations on the big screen.
"I've had a few friends who've gone to see the movie and they've made some good comments. I just haven't had a chance to see it yet," McDonald said.
Well over a year since he received the commission from producers of the Warner Brothers movie, the designer - who specialises in custom-made shoes - said he still recalls "the long hours" and "unbelievable amount of detail" involved.
"There was an incredible amount of work involved, exhausting, and we worked from January until November. With film work, it's all about collaboration so they had a prototype done up, a mock up and we basically worked off that.
"They were very fussy and particular because they spent a lot, a lot of money on costumes. It had to have a certain style but also be very functional and work under different conditions."
Spending some three months on development and an additional eight months on production, McDonald not only worked on boots for the lead role but an additional 10 shoes for the female characters and even a handbag for the character of Lois Lane.
"It doesn't sound like much but it was really hard work. We had to make a few versions for the stunt double and any underwater scenes and we had to make sure the boots were fitted without been too constrictive."
Made from leather and urethane-injected soles, the boots featured a Superman emblem on the back of each heel a detailed outer layer.
"If you were to peel back the skin of a male human leg and look at the anatomy and the sinewy muscles, that's what Superman's boots resemble," McDonald said.
No stranger to the film circuit, McDonald has also received commissions for the Star Wars Trilogy and a select range of local movies but was reluctant to disclose the amount paid for each commission.
"I'm happy to do it whenever a production comes up but it's mainly when a big American movie is filmed at Fox Studios in Sydney. The bigger projects have the budget but local projects never do which is a real shame. But at the end of the day, I still have to make some money."