Crisalis
I love to hike, but I’m never able to do it while I’m at school. I normally don’t have access to hiking trails, and when I occasionally do, I don’t have any of the right gear. So my goal with this assignment was to find a way to make hiking more accessible, particularly for people who live in urban environments and don’t have a lot of space.
I began by brainstorming and sketching out my 6 favorite ideas. After presenting them to the class and getting feedback from my professor, I decided to move forward with the boot idea. However, since the target audience was urban dwellers and college students like myself, convenience was key. To reduce the amount of steps required in using my design, I decided to create one shoe that could serve many functions, instead of something you have to strap onto to another shoe.
Even if you have hiking boots, there are still a few problems. Different trail lengths, terrains, and weather conditions all lend themselves to different types of boots. Since hiking involves travelling long distances on your feet, having proper fitting shoes is especially important. Even two people with the same shoe size will have feet with different shapes, arches, and widths.
My design, Crisalis—named after the chrysalis of a butterfly, a key stage during its metamorphosis—solved these problems by transforming to fit its wearer and the environment. It makes it easier for people to get into nature, improves the hiking experience, and reduces the need for multiple pairs of shoes.