Have produced Shoes using Mesh Modeling in 3DSMax 5.1. Took about 2 weeks, from start to finish. Rendered using Brazil r/s 1.05. Am following one of the examples from Product Lighting and Photography magzine for staging and lighting etc.
http://www.cgnetworks.com/gallerycrits/131...\_1103997660.jpg
I think the realism of the modeling and the render is very good. Two critisisms:1- The studs look too shiny.2- Is it cold? why are the shoes huddled together, with so much white space around? They look like they are in a box, but there is no box..
Black is too black... No fabric in reality is as black as that, se 0 0 0 color means absolutely no shading in the diffuse channel. Also this will tone the shinynes down sinc ethe contrast would decrrease. Se the functions of colors are relative to the current exposure palette.