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

Anchor 1

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

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Guard

Transparency

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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

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PROCESS

I started with stepping on the creek rocks barefoot to study how the biomechanism of my feet react to the rock surface.

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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.