CREEKO
Trail running shoes designed to provide a stable and safe creek crossing experience.
The project focuses on designing an equipment piece for the user of Eaton Canyon, Pasadena.
Project
Student Project
Product Design 4
Duration
2019 Summer
14 weeks
Disciplines
Performance Footwear design
Color, Material, Finish
EATON CANYON // MULTIPLE TERRAINS
The first half of the trail is easy for most hikers. The second half of it is more challenging. Hikers need to cross the creek multiple times to get to the waterfall.
Dirt Road
The soft dirt road has small rocks along the road. Wide enough for a few people walking at a time.
Rugged Slope
Some parts of the slope are narrow
and have sand on the surface that makes it slippery.
Rocky Creek
Creek rocks and branches allow people to walk across the creek without stepping into the water.
INTERVIEWS
Sydney is a weekend hiker, she loves Eaton Canyon because it's a fairly easy trail for her since she has weak knees, but she also has some concern when crossing the creek. She always packs light and wears comfortable hiking shoes.
" Wet shoes and socks are uncomfortable,
and they hurt my feet. "
" Be careful when you cross the creek! You can get hurt easily if you don’t have good gear. "
INSIGHTS + OPPORTUNITIES
from research & interview
Eaton Canyon has a lot of rugged surfaces along the trail, but a lot of hikers wear normal running shoes, which don't provide enough stability and protection.
Many hikers utilize the creek rocks and branches to cross the creek because they don't want to get their feet wet. However, they don't have proper shoes to provide grip on slippery surfaces.
Hiking with wet shoes and socks is not ideal for hikers as it will hurt their feet, and even got affected since there are bacteria in the creek. They need shoes that keep their feet dry along the trail.
MATERIAL & FINISH
Water-Repellent
Guard
Transparency
Gaiter
Pull string
Heel guards
Nylon
(exterior)
Mesh
(Interior)
Toe bump
CREEKO
Trail running shoes designed to provide a stable and safe creek crossing experience.
Upper Design
Tight fitting
Breathability
Comfort
Protection
Waterproof
Sole Design
Stability
Traction
Protection
Comfort
Durable
Soft Cushioning
Hard Foam
Durable Treads
Concave
Surface
The concave surfaces at the sole increase the contact surface between the shoes and the rock. It formed into the shape of the rock, in order to increase grip and stability.
SAMPLE MODEL
PROCESS
I started with stepping on the creek rocks barefoot to study how the biomechanism of my feet react to the rock surface.
Then explored ideas on paper and made mock-up side by side, which allowed me to test my idea quickly. Tried to figure out how to mimic the wrapping motion with the sole, but not losing protection to the feet.
^ Small treads at the heel and
Larger treads at the forefoot
After doing the hacking mockups, I decided what kind of feature is needed for the design. Sketching on a vacuum-formed shoe last is really helpful for scale, size, and placement of all the parts.
Back to sketching to refine the aesthetic, feature placement,
as well as material and finishing.
Refined the tech pack in AI and then started to build the appearance model.
I draw my design on a tapped last to create my own pattern for sewing.
The sole was modeled in Rhino and Solidworks and 3D printed.
THANK YOU