Shoes that would be coming out on the market were evaluated using specs from runnersworld.com.
Master's Thesis| Evaluating the Design Criteria of Minimalist Running Shoes
The research for my Master's degree looked to find an efficent way to evaluate a product using the reviews of bloggers on minimalist running shoes. The process I developed I believe can be used on any functional products, but was applied to minimalist running shoes for the purpose of this study. (See photos for an explanation on the process)
Old toe supports did not fit any of the vamp patterns. On the small sizes supports were too big creating bulk in the seam allowance. On large sizes the supports were too small. Additionally the pointy corners promoted glue failure which led supports to fall out.
The new toe supports were patterned from the middle vamp size which made the toe support fit all sizes better. Additionally excess bulk was taken out of the top of the pattern where additional thickened was not needed. Rounded corners were added to help reduce glue failure.
Old toe supports did not fit any of the vamp patterns. On the small sizes supports were too big creating bulk in the seam allowance. On large sizes the supports were too small. Additionally the pointy corners promoted glue failure which led supports to fall out.
Toe Support Pattern |Redesign
I designed and patterned new toe supports for my current company, as the previous ones used were not optimal in function. The new design reduced bulk, fit all patterns better, and reduced glue failure.
Boot Back Design Brainstorm
During my internship at a small shoe company in Oregon, I was given the task of brainstorming as many different designs to the back of a boot that was currently in development. These sketches are a bit of what I came up with.
Shoe Sketches
During my internship my time at my internship I was asked to sketch some of the existing shoes the company offers to potentially use for marketing purposes in the future.