In the UK alone, footwear contributes to over 1 million tons of waste annually, most of which is not biodegradable. After researching footwear “turnover rates” I found that skateboarding shoes are discarded every month or two due to wear.
Research
In my initial user research phase, I talked to 5 daily skateboarders and several other casual skateboarders. I had extended user interviews with these skaters in which I asked about their habits, frustrations, and things they liked about their shoes.
After talking to these 10+ skaters and also posting a survey on an online forum, I synthesized my findings into 6 key points.
Design
Because I was trying to achieve the classy, minimal, vintage aesthetic that skaters love, I decided to simplify my design to fit that goal. Simplifying the design will also reinforce the sustainability in both use of material and production processes,
Initial form ideation sketches
Based on feedback from my users, I decided to move forward with designing a shoe that utilizes mostly biodegradable materials.
The upper is made of Pinatex, a leather made from the leaves of a pineapple plant. The sole is made of non-vulcanized rubber and can be recycled if the infrastructure is in place to do so.
Prototyping
To create the primary molds for the sole, I used a donor sole from a Jordan 1. Because these molds left the bottom of the shoe untextured, I modeled and 3D printed an outsole to be attached to the bottom in SolidWorks. Because the soles are made from a urethane rubber, a cyanoacrylate based glue was sufficient in attaching the midsole to the outsole.
Smooth-On Oomoo 30 molds made from a donor sole and 3D printed outsole
Upper pattern made from a last tape up
The pattern blocks pictured on the right went through about 6 versions until I perfected them. Having such a large single-piece toe box proved challenging, but I am thrilled with how it turned out.
Final Prototype
User Testing
Wear / durability testing
May 2022 senior capstone presentation