Concept

 

What inspire me to do this project is how boring sneakers has become. Sneakers design is static, functionality remains the same for ages.

Being a product design student, and a sneaker fan, I decide to make shoes more functional and fun to use.

Some of the functions for this desigen includes using GPS, voice recognition technology and led signalling lights.

 

As for the aesthetics of the shoes, I intend it to be quite minimal.

 

 

Process (Aesthetics)

 

As I started out making my own sneaker, Galina reccomend me to deconstruct existing sneaker to understand the mechanism of it, to make a sneaker.

As such, I took one of my shoes that I had planned to throw away to deconstruct.

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Prof Galina show me her way of making the shoe using the deconstructed shoe.

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As I searched the internet, there is also another way of making sneakers. Using a last.

Due to the lack of money, I decide to make my own temporary shoe last according to this youtube video instructions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8RMcXhw40c

I decide to design my own shoe using both Galina method as well as the internet tutorials.

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First, I draw out the base of my foot and use it as the shoe base. I cut it out onto a piece of artcard.

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Afterwards, I tape it according to the contours of my foot.

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I made a total of 4 shoe last, each with different variation, which I intended to see which form I want to develop my shoe design with.

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I then cut it out and flatten it into a 2D surface, then use it to cut out on a cheap cloth for prototyping, and see the fitting of the design.

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There was a lot of changes to the dimension and cutting of the shoe, and eventually I settled with the design and develop with proper materials (neoprene). I then added additional details which includes shoe lacing and white strips.

 

 

Process (Technology)

The technology is the one that have gave me the most headache.

I accidentally brought many wrong parts due to my unfamiliarity with Arduino.

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Next, after getting all the necessary parts, I then learn to programming voice command to send commands using blue tooth, to activate things on the microcontroller.

So I decided to activate LED lights using voice. There was lots of problem in programming Bluetooth, and I mainly used youtube to find my answers.

This are the tutorials I came across to solve my problems and setting up of the technology. 

Afterwards successful programming voice command and managing to make it work, I then proceed to on to programming GPS tracker.

All in all, the technology had worked out, yet there are some other functions that are yet to be developed as what I had intended from the start of the project. 

There are many changes that taken place for this project.

It started off innocently as a sneaker project that changes its design under heat.

As such I began deconstructing a sneaker that I longer need to understand how to create my very own sneaker.

   

In the midst of deconstructing, I came across another school of teaching for creating shoes on youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8RMcXhw40c

So I began making my own shoe in a different manner.

 

 In total there was four temporary shoe last I made.

 

 

Afterwards, I open it up as a template to cut cloth to test out the fitting of the design, that includes the shoe sole and sides. I then sew them together later.

 

In the midst of making the prototype, there was alot of problem with the design (dont have process pic). I kept changing the size and cut out new cloth to ensure the design can fit my foot.

 

Finally the design has been set in place, I then cut out the same exact size onto neoprene to build the shoe. Adding lace and other additional aesthetics to the design.

What inspire me to do this project is how common sneakers has become. Sneakers design is static, functionality remains the same.

Therefore I decide to design a sneaker that is experiential and functional at the same time, by incorporating technology, and making users life more convenient and experiential.

As for the aesthetics of the shoes, I intend it to be quite minimal.