Week 5- material research e.g. the materials used in most shoes and sustainable alternatives. Applying the selected materials to the shoe design.

Week 6- Finalising the design of the shoe e.g. the look and the customizable elements

Material research

sustainability in materials

Linen

-Environmentally friendly, it grows naturally without pesticides, fertilizer or irrigation which is why ‘certified organic linen’ doesn't exist.

Made from the stem of the flax plant, it is labour intensive to process, so growing is concentrated in low labour cost countries.

-Stronger than cotton, it absorbs moisture without holding bacteria, offering excellent anti-microbial properties.

-It is breathable, keeping you warm in cool weather and cool in warm weather.

-If left untreated, dyed and unfinished, it is fully biodegradable and recyclable.

Eco Microfibre

-Eco Microfibre is a man-made fibre and a good alternative to leather, commonly referred to as Vegan Leather or Faux Leather. Made from a water-based and solvent-free polyurethane (PU) and OEKO-TEX certified, it is similar in texture look and feel to real leather, versatile and hard wearing, but 100% vegan.

-Eco Microfibre still has a significant environmental impact and is therefore not ideal long term but it is more environmentally friendly, less toxic and hazardous than working with real leather.

It is breathable, machine washable, easy to maintain and durable.

Ugg- sustainable materials

-The largest material fiber used by UGG is re-purposed wool, which is blended into UGGpure™ proprietary technology. UGGpure™ is a more responsible material because it reduces the use of virgin wool, uses less water and energy, and emits less CO2 when compared to virgin market wool.

They also created the UGGplush™ material which combines the proprietary UGGpure™ technology with a recycled polyester backing and TENCEL™ lyocell, a sustainably-sourced fiber made from wood pulp. UGGplush™

The common materials used in shoes

Leather

Positives

Leather is flexible and durable material

-It is elastic, so it can be stretched yet it resists tearing and abrasion.

-It’s a breathable material, and it insulates heat, helping to regulate temperature.

Negatives

-It’s expensive compared to other shoe materials

-leather is heavy

-leather untreated can be vulnerable to water damage

-Because leather comes from animal hide, leather shoes can also bear slight imperfections and brands will waste a proportion of the hide due to imperfections.

Textiles

Positives

-Like leather, textiles are available in a wide array of colors and varieties.

-With textiles, the possible variations include different fibers, denier (or fabric weight), weaves and knits.

The most common textiles used for making shoes are:

cotton

polyester

wool

nylon

-Textile shoes can also be found in rayon, lycra and polypropylene.

-One key advantage of textile shoes is their versatility in styles and designs.

Synthetics

Synthetic materils- made from an external surface adhered to a backing layer composed of polyester fibers.

-All types of synthetics used to make shoes are also the same in making for supportive yet affordable sports shoes.

-come in a variety of colours and textures.

-The advantage of shoes made from synthetics is it being inexpensive for both the manufacturer and consumer as compared with other types of shoes.

Negatives

-Lower quality synthetics may not have a perfectly smooth surface, even possibly showing creases and wrinkles.

-It’s less durable than leather and textile counterparts therefore synthetic shoes tend to degrade faster and need replacing more often.

Rubber

-most commonly used in shoes to make soles.

-it is among the most popular in sports shoes, like running shoes and tennis shoes.

While most shoe rubber over the years has been made from polyester, a more environmentally natural rubber is increasing in popularity as an alternative.

Foam

-is the most common material used to provide support in the uppers of shoes of all sorts, be they leather, textile, synthetic or even rubber.

-The different types of foam used for this purpose are innumerable, though they’re all generally divided into two categories: open and closed cell.

-All foam is made from plastic. In open cell foam, the material is permeable, allowing water and air to pass through; in closed cell

Materials nike use

Promoting sustainability alternative

Sustainable materials-

Linen- grows naturally without pesticides, stronger than cotton, anti-microbial properties, it's breathable

Eva foam- (Ethylene vinyl acetate) is considered eco-friendly because it is BPA free and does not contain chlorides, heavy metals, phenols, latex and other toxic substances. It is a safer alternative to products that use PVC foams which often carry BPA. It is also recyclable and reusable rather than having to throw away any wasted product.

SweetFoam- shoe company Allbirds have launched its new Sugar Zeffer flip flops which have soles made from a new sustainable material. The new technology SweetFoam uses sugarcane, a material that comes from a plant and is renewable. SweetFoam was created in collaboration with Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem. Its carbon negative technology is a more environmentally-friendly alternative to EVA foam and Allbirds plans to use it across all products. As well as creating a sustainable shoe sole, the company is making sure to source the sugarcane ethically. All the sugars used in manufacturing SweetFoam has to be certified by Proforest – a non-profit

Eco Microfibre- Eco Microfibre is a man-made fibre and a good alternative to leather. Made from a water-based and solvent-free polyurethane (PU) and OEKO-TEX certified. Similar in texture look and feel to real leather, versatile and hard wearing, but 100% vegan. It is breathable, machine washable, easy to maintain and durable.

Sustainable options for each part of a shoe

Uppers

Suede\Nubuck- Ultrasuede- a man-made suede / nubuck alternative, derived from recycled polyester. Commerically available. These microfibres are manufactured from recycled polyester. "Recycling polyester means reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by 80%”

Non-organic Cotton- Bast Fibres- Bast fibres are a group of natural fibres that are extracted from the stem of certain plants e.g. flax (linen), hemp, jute and stinging nettles. Commercially available. Bast fibres can be grown with fewer imputs, e.g. without pesticides and smaller areas of land. They can also be grown in European climates, providing alternatives as oil prices and transportation costs rise. Bast fibres are durable and flame retardant. However, bast fibres are not as soft as cotton. Example of shoes with that material- Nike SB Hemp Dunk Low, Vans 106 SF Hemp

Soles

Synthetic Rubber- Natural Rubber e.g. Lactae Hevea A natural rubber material made from the milk of the Hevea tree. The Hevea tree "is only one of at least 2,500 plant species that can produce this high performance polymer". Commerically available. The harvesting of the hevea milk helps the tree to flourish rather than weakening it. "No natural forest is cut down. After 25 years of exploitation, the old tree is felled and a new tree is planted." The pockets of air in the microstructure provide excellent comfort and shock absorbance. Over time, "Slight visual imperfections resulting from the natural origin of the sole" often refered to as 'bloom' appear - these are viewed as proof of authenticity and can be removed with an oil.

PU or EVA Foam- Coir- A short, coarse fibre extracted from coconut husks. It's often combined with natural rubber for cushioning applications e.g. mattresses or a shoe midsole. Commercially available. Coir is a natural material, so will biodegrade. Coir is an example of biomimicry; a natural shock absorber for coconuts which can be utilised for comfort. Coir also provides good resistance to bacteria.

Joining methods

Solvent-based glues- Renia Aquilim- A water-based glue. Commercially available. Free from solvents.

Mind maps of material research

Process of 'making' a shoe

This video shows the process of making a shoe for outdoor shoe wear brand- Fronteer

Design map

This image is a part of the Fronteer video, it is called a design map. It gave me inspiration to do the same for my shoe design so I cover all angles.

Design map sketches

Before I created a digital design map, I decided to sketch another concept just to make sure my selected design was the best.

This is the concept I sketched up, I kept some design elements like the sole but the midsole has been adapted and I have switched the logos around. Overall I am glad I created this concept as it has made be confident in my decision. I believe the side angle fits my thinking however the birds eye view looks like a lot of the trainers on the market today.

I also sketched up my previous selected design as I needed to come up with a concet for the bottom of the shoe. Due to the fact my shoe wear brand has sustainability in mind I came up with the concept of leaves along the bottom to represent the natural ethos of my brand.

Digital shoe design map

Material map

Looking at the outdoor shoe brand 'Fronteer' again as they gave me the idea to do a material map to map to help my design process.

Sustainable material map

custom elements options

Reflective elements

Glow in the dark elements

Transparent/translucent elements

Heat adaptive elements

Velcro badge

Heel can be changed

Many different laces- colours and variants

What I am going to incorporate

The custom elements I have decided is to create a detachable heel where by the customer can change the heel to different colours and element e.g. a glow in the dark and reflective heel. The two sub logos on the heel are going to be 3m reflective as well as the trim around it. On the side of the shoe there is going to be two types of translucent elements. The badge will be detachable and will come in different colours like the heel but will be velcro. There will be an array of different colour laces to coordinate with the badge and heel. For the translucent sections, my shoe wear brand will release an array of socks that will be visible through the translucent sections.

The whole material map

For this map I included all the angles of the shoe as well as adding the customizable elements e.g. 3m, translucent textiles and velcro.

Redeveloped map

After creating my first material map, I realised I needed to make some adaptions. One main adaption I have made is making the tongue and lining linen as it will create a more comfortable for the customer rather than having the tongue being made of bast fibres.

Combining materials with design

I started by sketching up my shoe design from a different angle as it would give me more depth to work with and allow for a more finished realistic look.

I proceeded to add the material textures to each element of the shoe, using my material map as a guide. One element I struggled creating a texture for is the translucent elements has I find it hard to conceptualize what the inside of the shoe will look like from particular angles.

For my final shoe release, I will release a white pair and a black pair with the customizable elements adding the colour. I therefore have made the material colours lighter as well as the trim lines. The right image is my refineded version of previous work and gives insight into what the final outcome could look like.

I also inverted the images to see what a black version would look like.

Further developing the look/design

Nike move to zero- sole inspiration

Nike has developed a campaign called the 'move to zero', which refers to working towards zero carbon footprint. One element of this campaign that caught my eye is the soles of the shoes that have this dot/paint splatter effect which refers to the recycled materials used within the shoe.

Colour schemes

I have created this array of colour schemes for the customizble elements that will be present on the shoes along with other elements like the sole of the shoe.

Experimenting with the sole

At first I went with a coloured paint splatter look, that is present on the Nike move to zero shoes. However I though this looked cheap and did not stand out enough. With my second attempt I decided to fully fill in the sections of the leaf patten using my previously created colour scheme. which came out very successful due to the both bold and clean view. My third experiment combines the two previous designs as I have added the dot effect to the bright filled sections. This concept is my favourite as the contrast between the bright sections of negative space to the textured dot effect creates a great balance.

Sock designs-

Using the colour schemes I have previously created, I have mocked up these sock designs. With my shoes having translucent/transparent elements, I have created coloured socks for my shoe wear brand, that will be visble when wearing the shoes.

The detachable mechanism

One of my key customizable elements of my shoes is the 'changeable' heel. I have drawn up how this will work. The way in which it will work is by the outer layer of the heel being able to clip on and off.

Applying the colour scheme to the heel element

Redeveloped colour scheme

After looking at the sock concepts and the heel element with the first colour scheme I realised that there was not enough options e.g. mostly the bight neon colours. Therefore I added a new colour scheme of more natural colours for somebody who does not like wearing bright clothing. Another reason I redeveloped the colour scheme is because I though just having bright colours could apply a tacky identity to my brand.

Feedback of project so far/ final outcome advice

A good array of research and content. What is missing is perhaps where this leads to as an outcome. It would be great as a final advert in a documentary style. Including life footage of sustainability and carbon footprint. It perhaps could be a versus advert where a ‘normal’ trainer is made and leaves a high carbon footprint versus a sustainable trainer. Could the ad start as a series of abstract shapes that are the materials of the shoe and then transfer and build into the final product?

Response

The feedback I have received has been very helpful as it has given me an understanding of what my final outcomes could look like. However before I start thinking about planning my final outcome I need to finalise the look of my shoes e.g. applying the redeveloped colour scheme and finalising the black & white model. In the next spark site, I will complete these tasks and work towards creating final outcomes.