Grounded - Fashionable & Comfortable Shoe
Shoes often fall under one of two categories, either focusing on fashion or comfort. Often times big name brands create their shoes but don’t account for varying feet shape. Specifically when it comes to the narrowness of the shoe. A narrow look is often preferred by companies as it has become a common stylish preference, but when a company focuses on comfort the result is often a thick shoe that most people would rather avoid.
To tackle this problem my team began the process of designing a new shoe that would combine these two categories. A new shoe that had the comfort of an athletic shoe with the look and style of a lifestyle shoe that customers would want to wear everyday!
My Roles
Researcher
Designer
Presenter
Design Process
Tools
Google Forms
Google Sheets
Miro
Research
Identifying specific characteristics of shoes people enjoyed was the priority of our research. To begin we conducted secondary research online to gather insight on common issues with modern shoes and using the information created a survey. I was responsible for finding participants to take our survey, and in total we had 122 responses as a team.
From the survey we gathered new insights using qualitative analysis to understand what people preferred in their shoes. Key findings were people preferred a simple look, fashion was more important than comfort, and they wanted a versatile shoe. As for the comfort the three most reported problems were chafing, arch support, and tight space for toes.
For more quantitative data we conducted interviews. I interviewed one of the survey participants and brought my notes from the interview to a team meeting where we gathered our data up to that point and conducted thematic analysis. We organized our data into a Miro Board to visualize our grouping and important points.
Design
After our thematic analysis and grouping we began to sketch some early designs of our shoe. Trying to go for the simple look participants preferred. When the initial sketch was chosen we began the initial prototype. This was done by a fellow team member and during that time I researched for materials that would help with the comfort aspect of the shoe.
During the process of the final prototype a color way was chosen as well as the final materials to be included. In total there were three color ways chosen and two other drawn prototypes that displayed the materials and comfort aspects of the shoe.
Final Designs
Duration
March 2023 - June 2023
Final Design
For the final design we used three different neutral colorways, as many from our research claimed they preferred neutral colors. We also went with a simple look for the shoe with a flat sole and classic silhouette. As for the comfort we wanted to create a wider area for the toe box with small cushions inside, a microfiber material to prevent chafing, and an arch support for the user.
Feedback
Due to a time limit there was no physical prototype so we received verbal feedback on our design. As for users there was an overall positive response where many claimed they would try the shoe and consider wearing it daily. They enjoyed the idea of a more spacious toe box and comfort around the foot as their daily pair of shoes didn’t have either of these. Many also commented on the look of the shoes and were fond of the colorway and look. What they wished for in later prototypes were customizable features such as colors and comfort features such as removable insoles.
The other feedback received was after a presentation my team and I gave. We received multiple comments about the design and how people in the audience felt this needed more attention as many of them dealt with pain from their shoes daily. The constructive feedback we received was on the materials for the shoes.
Takeaways
From my own past experiences with this problem of uncomfortable shoes I enjoyed the process of researching and designing to create a prototype that would solve an issue many people deal with today. I think if the shoe designed for this project did come into fruition people would give it a chance because comfort and a good look is hard to find in today’s market. The athletic shoe from Grounded would solve this problem as this combines the two into one. However from the research I understand people do prefer different looks so Grounded wouldn’t be for everyone.