Team 1
Problem Statement
Lower and middle-class parents do not have enough time or money to purchase dress shoes on short notice for their rapidly growing children.
Users/Purchasers:
USER : Boys ages 4-12 years
PURCHASER: Parents and Guardians of 4-12 years old boys
State of the ArtState of the Art
Adjustable Sandal
By: Kenton Lee
The only other adjustable length shoe on the market. We were inspired by Kenton Lee’s impactful innovation.
The shoe is a cheap and practical leather sandal which allows kids in Third World countries to grow up without having to walk around barefoot. The rubber sole of the shoe is bendable and curls up onto the shoe body, allowing the shoe to lengthen longitudinally. Two main straps allow for adjustable width.
Lee’s innovation is not applicable for formal wear
Market Dress Shoe
A regular dress shoe that can be found on the market. It can act as a state of the art because our shoe aims to do all the things a normal dress shoe can but with adjustability.
Actuation Screw Mechanism = Primary Patented Solution
Minimal size adjustment because of monolithic upper
Only insole adjustable (clown shoes)
choking hazards
Translates the rotary motion of a screw (rotated by hand) into linear motion
Specifications
Prototypes
Sole Insert
1. Metal plate insert with holes for moving screws and sole pieces for adjustment
+Fits every size of shoe wanted
-Not customizable between sizes, can only go up by one size at a time
-Would take a long time to adjust
-Removable screws are not safe for Children
2. Two layered metal plate sole insert to add stability
+Two plates together adds stability
-Very hard to adjust
-Inconvenient
3. Metal plate insert with continuous holes for continuous customizable adjustment
+Fits every size of shoe wanted without
+Do not need to remove a screw for adjustment
+Customizable between sizes, can lengthen any amount
+Safe for children
Sole Rubber
1. Sole split in 6 parts for sliding rod adjustment
+too many moving parts
-Trouble with rods touching the ground while walking
-Would take a long time to adjust
-Hard to adjust
-Need sole inserts for fully functional shoe
2. Sole with holes to put screws into inner plate for adjustment
+Fits every size of shoe wanted
-Not customizable between sizes, can only go up by one size at a time
-Would take a long time to adjust
-Removable screws are not safe for Children
3. Sole of adjustable shoe with brass rings to screw into for size change
+Fits every size of shoe wanted
-Too many holes would be hard to determine which hole goes to which size
-Would take a long time to adjust
-Removable screws and brass rings are not safe for Children
Upper
1. Overlapping leather in the front and back to account for sole adjustment
Did not know how to keep the extra material out of the way when shoe is small and the overlap of material is large
2. Buttons attached to leather in order to keep extra material out of the way and adjust to the right size upper
+Buttons not very strong
-Not customizable, can only go from one button to the next
3. Velcro to keep extra leather taught and adjust size
+Extremely customizable, can adjust to any size
-not the most attractive look on a dress shoe
Final Prototype
Final Sole
Combined the slidable insert plate with the four sectioned sole rubber to create the best option for an adjustable sole
Final Prototype
Combined the upper design with the velcro and the final sole design to create the adjustable shoe
Testing and User Feedback
Thick Rubber
Flexural Modulus was too high for the double layer we needed (Too stiff)
Thin Rubber
More closely resembled the market dress shoe. Max bending stress was fine.
Dress Shoe
(State of the Art)
Shoe Flux
Flexural Modulus and Max Bending Stress Calculations informed our choice to use Thin Rubber in ShoeFLUX
2cm short of adjustability goal
Other Tests
Ease of Adjustment: Pass (1 min 40 seconds)
Ease of Use: Pass (15 seconds)
Aesthetic: Failure
Comfort: Failure
Ethics and Sustainability
About 300 Million pairs of shoes are thrown away in just America.
Shoes take around 30 to 40 years to decompose.
Sustainability Approach
Eco-Design Strategy Wheel
Ethical Considerations:
Small metal screw parts → safety hazard for children and dogs
Velcro not quite secure enough
Licensing to company means our ethical concerns may not be met.
Business Plan and Economics:
