Orienteering ShoeDesign & Development

Final 183.401 Presentation

Overview• Project Brief

• Current Marketplace

• Concept Generation• Consumer Feedback• Development of the Design

– Prototyping

• Manufacturing Techniques and Cost• Marketing Techniques and Cost

• Conclusion

Project Brief

• To design and develop a durable orienteering shoe to address the current short comings in design– Lack of grip within the arch region of the foot

– Construction Quality

• Whilst ensuring the same features of the incumbents– Superb traction over multiple terrain types

– Comfort Through Cushioning

Current Marketplace

Market Size

• Through numbers obtained from the IOF– 67 member nations

– 5000 clubs

– 450,000 club members

– Estimated to be 1 million orienteers worldwide

• From the IOF World Ranking Site– ~2300 runners

– 40% from Scandinavia

Current Marketplace

Major Competitors

• Silva– K120

• Flawed Design, however the idea is

innovative

– K100• Bullet-proof Shoe, still Silva’s best

seller

• VJ– Twister

• A rival to the K100 in the most

popular shoe category

Initial Research

• Initial consumer research was undertaken– Lead User Groups

– Internet Forums

• Maptalk - Australasian

• Nopesport - International (UK)

• Attackpoint - International (US)

• Resulting in ideas such as – Arch Spikes to aid in traversing thinnings

– Adjustable Spike Length

– Hardwearing material upon the medial side

– Grip upturns to aid in contouring

– Improved adhesion between the uppers and

the sole

Concept Generation

• Six completely differing concepts were generated each looking at different aspects in– Aesthetic Design

– Features

– Grip Design

• Were taken to consumers for feedback through– Lead User Group

– Focus Group

– Conjoint Analysis

Consumer FeedbackFocus Group

• Mixed Responses to some of the proposed ideas– Arch Spikes

– Adjustable Spike Length

• Enthusiasm for the lace cove– Would need to be tested

• Aesthetics was not a major sicking point

• Pronation support was determined to be essential

Consumer Feedback

Conjoint Analysis

• Built up of Eight Cards– Arch Spikes

– Lace Cover

– Adjustable Spikes

– Pronation Support

• Placed upon an internet survey site– Limited questions

– Provided easy to download graphs

Consumer Feedback

Conjoint Analysis – Results

• Results mirrored those from the focus groups

• Adjustable Spike Length - 48%• Arch Spikes - 52%• Lace Cover - 64%• Pronation Support - 82%

• Northern & Southern Hemisphere responses were similar

Development

Computer Aided Design

• Shoe was designed using SolidWorks– Allows for easy alterations

after testing– Photo rendering

capabilities– Files can be easily sent to

• Rapid Prototyper• Other CNC machines

Development

Prototyping

• The prototyping process was largely a trial and error process

• Three distinct areas that needed to be constructed– Outer Sole

– Midsole

– Upper

• Materials were hard to come by thus some compromises had to be made to ensure the successful completion of the prototype

Prototyping

Outer Sole - 1st Attempt

• FDM plug was created that would be inserted into a bed of plaster– In theory a cheap method of creating the negative mould for the soles

• Issues with this technique – The plugs acted as a impervious barrier preventing the air from drying

the plaster

– Resulting in a soft centre when the plugs were removed

• New technique had to be found

Prototyping

Outer Sole – 2nd Attempt

• Still using the FDM plug however the plug was placed upwards and covered with plaster

• In theory the plaster being exposed to the air would ensure drying before subsequent layers of plaster

• Issues with this technique – The copious amounts of release wax did not act as it should have,

preventing the removal of the plug

– As the plaster stuck to the plug, hunks of the negative mould were pulled out.

Prototyping

Outer Sole – 3rd Attempt

• Through the use of a start up company Objective Design the soles were prototyped directly in a rubber compound

• Ensuring that what you sent to be prototyped was indeed what was produced

• Alterations were made to the CAD file at this stage to ensure that the metal dobb spikes wouldsecurely fit into the resulting outer sole

• The material however was not as robust as it wasenvisaged, thus a full terrain testing process would not be feasible

Prototyping

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Midsole

• EVA material was kindly provided by Ultralon in Christchurch

• The sole had to be cut to a profile hence a jig had to be set up to ensure the correct profile was achieved

• Pronation support was added using a denser EVA

Prototyping

Upper

• Again a lot of learning on the run whilst prototyping

• Patterns were made through laying paper on top of a donor shoe– Tested three times to ensure the best possible fit

• Patterns translated onto the various materials

• Assembly of the different parts to create the upper.

Prototyping

Manufacturing

Initial Small Run Manufacturing

• A ‘LEGO’ set of last sizes and studs to create individualised stud patterns.

• TopMark materials used to create both the mould and the sole– Ultrasil

– Flexicast

• Ultralon EVA used for the midsoles

• Uppers Created from Schoeller Keprotec– Material found in motorcycle safety gear

Manufacturing

Product Price $NZD $NZD/Pair Ultrasil Moulding Compound $ 371.50 – 5kg $ 8.25 Flexicast 85A Urethane $ 242 - 7.1kg $ 60.50 Standard FDM “LEGO” Blocks $ 60 $ 0.60 FDM Last shape $ 30 Dependant

Soles

Ultralon EVA $ 80.83 $ 6.75 Coated Rip-Stop Material $ 20 $ 1.60 Schoeller Keprotec $ 50 $ 7.15 Uppers Sabaplast 5817 $ 25.50 $ 0.51

Spikes Tungsten Donor Spikes - - Total Raw Shoe $ 854.34 $ 85.36 With Shipping $ 135.36

Manufacturing

Modularisation

• The conjoint analysis had three features with a 50/50 split opening the door for consumer co-design & modularisation

• Thus the shoe was designed thinking about the possibility of modular designs– The soles have capacity for nuts to be inserted – adjustable spike length

– Lace cove is just an extended pattern of the standard tongue

– Using the ‘LEGO’ approach arch spikes could be left off moulds

• Modular design also lends itself to agility– A much needed aspect in the ever changing footwear marketplace

Marketing

Techniques

• Advertisement in Print Media– Skogssport– Orienteering Today– Compass Sport

• Web Banners– Orienteering Today

• Website – Consumer Co-Design

• Sponsored Athletes– The creation of a group of young orienteers on the verge of elite status– Sponsored Racing Kit– Subsidised event entry Fee

Marketing

Techniques – Consumer Co-Design

• Web based set up that allows consumers to create their own shoe design– Arch Spikes

– Adjustable Spikes

– Customised Colours/Text

• Would create an avenue for individualisation for a start up company

• Would require modular manufacturing techniques

Marketing

Marketing Method Duration Price $NZD Initial Yearly

Skogssport 4 issues 1/3 page

- $ 1,230

Orienteering Today 4 issues 1/3 page

- $ 1,510 Print Media

Compass Sport (UK) 4 issues ¼ page - $ 1,270 Web Banners Orienteering Today 2 x 4months - $1,590

Adobe Photoshop $ 1,200 - Adobe Dreamweaver $ 670 - Domain name - $ 40

Website

Web ISP - $ 360 Shoes - - $ 4,545 Orienteering Kit - $ 1,500 - T-Shirts - - $ 300 Tent - $ 590 - Flags/Banners - $ 200 -

Sponsored Athletes

Subsidised Entry Fess - - $ 5,000 Total $ 4,160 $15,845

Marketing

Financials

• After the first year of production having sold 115 shoes at $245• 5% of the elite community the financials of the company would look

like

First 12 months of operation $ NZD Income from 115 pairs + $ 28,175 Manufacturing Costs - $ 10,086 Marketing Cost - $ 20,005 Total - $ 1,916

Financials

• The following year assuming the production could handle twice the number of orders ensuring the market share of 10%

Second 12 months of operation $ NZD Income from 145 pairs + $ 35,525 Manufacturing Costs - $ 12,720 Marketing Cost - $ 15,845 Yearly Total $ 6960 Company Total $ 5044

On Selling

• Thus for the shoe to really flourish it would need to be picked up by a major manufacturer such as Silva or VJ

• As for the shoe to successfully enter the market the cost of either the manufacture or the marketing campaigns need to be significantly reduced

• Enquiries have been made through

both the local importers with very little

response from either manufacturer.

Conclusion

• A durable orienteering shoe designed and developed– Through the consultation of end users

• Development process followed through– Concept Generation

– Development through CAD

– Prototype Constructed

– Testing of Key Features

• For the shoe to be developed further the idea really needs to be picked up by a manufacturer

Questions ?