FINAL PENSOLE PORTFOLIO WORK

During my time at Pensole the program I attended was Nike x Future Sole and the team concept we were tasked to complete was to create a footwear concept for the medical profession. Our team wanted to add another element to this by focusing on medical professionals in the military and specifically women in the military as well. This leads into our consumer who is Kianna Davenport a 28 year old Army Medical Corpsman from Long Island, New York and is a licensed Physician. Kianna is currently Deployed in Guantanamo Bay Cuba and when she isn’t on active duty she resides in Fort Cavazos, Texas where she works in the veterans hospital aiding in emergency medical situations. During her time off she spends a lot of time being active by meditating, running, HIIT training and with her family leading into her daily attire which primarily consists of active wear and steering away from luxury items whenever possible. So my focus as the 3D designer for this project I wanted to create a versatile silhouette that Kianna can wear while working in the hospital and during her normal daily activities.

PROJECT STATEMENT

To create a footwear product that gives the army medical corpsman versatility, comfort and a fast fit.

Inspiration & Activities

Inspiration: Medical professionals, performance, environment

My inspiration for this project stemmed from Kianna’s previous background experiences and hobbies which influence and guide her throughout her day to day life. Each and every influence has purpose so my inspiration for this silhouette was to design a performance shoe but also have the capabilities to be worn by medical professionals while addressing the problems which are very common in the medical field already.

Activities: HIIT training, outdoor running, family time

Kianna is very self-aware and loves to be active everyday and this bleeds into her job profession being an army medical corpsman, so she does a lot of high intensity interval training and outdoor running to help maintain her performance so she is ready for any situation during her active duty deployment. Along with this she is also very family oriented and spends time with her younger step brother and mother allowing for her body to rest and recover which is also very important for any individual.

Problems & Solutions

Solutions: Open, multi-dimensional, relief

Leading into my solutions I wanted to create a silhouette which solved the previous problems by having an open concept fit and I did this through a BOA lacing system along with the tongue being asymmetrical for better fit. Also I will implement different material options along with construction details to tackle the versatility aspect of my footwear concept, last I will focus on relief by creating a raised midsole which is necessary for medical workers who are constantly on their feet for more than 12 hours a day.

Problems: Constrained, one dimensional, rigid

With previous footwear products in the medical profession I have gathered research to understand the areas of improvement where a silhouette could reach a broader target audience making the footwear applicable to more than one demographic. With that being said my problems which are the most prominent in the industry will have to be previous footwear products being constrained allowing for access to the silhouette being slowed down and very one dimensional as well meaning they are only meant for the medical setting and comfort tends to decrease and plateaus after a certain amount of time while being on your feet for extended periods of time.

Initial Ideation Process

During the ideation process I was leaning towards a silhouette with a strap configuration or lacing system to solve for the fitment issues then partnered with this I believe ventilation was another factor which medical professionals deal with so adding ventilation units in the forefoot and midfoot was also necessary. Lastly, my main focus was a midsole which addresses the comfortability aspect as well.

Final CAD Renders

Presented here is my final line art which illustrates my final design concept with key features such as multiple ventilation units, a dynamic lacing system, reinforced heel counter and traction resembling that of DNA strands.

Important Design Callouts

Regarding my design callouts I wanted to emphasize the material being used such as marinylon in the upper which is a ocean friendly nylon derived from decommissioned fishnets and the material allows for breathability, durability, and is waterproof making for a perfect material in the medical profession. Along with this I want to acknowledge the supercritical foam midsole which allows for energy return and is a light weight material necessary for Kianna’s performance needs. The last area of emphasis is full carbon fiber foot plate which also feeds into her active lifestyle since it provides a smooth heel to toe transition.

Final Renders In Color

Trailblazer symbolizes Kianna’s heroic background by displaying her military background and what it truly means to be a person who serves this country

Savior symbolizes the medical field and Kianna’s passion to help other focusing on this over the financial gain allowing her to lead a life full of happiness and passion

Roots symbolizes Kiannas’s background growing up in New York and the artistic culture which surrounded her and guided her throughout her youth and early adulthood

Final 3D Gravity Sketch Renders

The final 3D rendering was accomplished via gravity sketch and was a focus point within the program and this allowed me to hone my skills and gauge a different perspective on footwear design which led to me completing over 50 hours and becoming certified on the expert level within the gravity sketch software.