The document summarizes research and design work for a specialized work boot for floor installers. Initial research involved observing floor installers and identifying pain points like material wear, stiff ankles, and inelastic soles. Trends, technologies, and market standards were also considered. A first prototype incorporated a stretch sole, toe flex, and rubber kevlar material. User testing of the prototype found the sole and toe flex comfortable but the material and stability needing improvement. The designer plans to focus the next prototype on hiding functionality to increase buyer desirability while addressing issues like a rigid toe flex area, expanded rubber coverage, a tapered sole for stability, and consistent sizing during flex.

1. SENIOR SHOW II // WORK BOOT
Specialized Work
Requiring
Specialized Boots
The problem with work boots are the lack of
options when considering the many different fields
that rely on their durability, comfort, and function.
The work force I'm working in cooperation with is
the floor layers union. The goal of this product is to
extend the lifetime of the shoe, while increasing
function that is conducive to task.

2. My goal is to recreate the work boot while focusing on the needs of a Floor Installer.

3. INITIAL RESEARCH
The opportunity to work with the people in the trades arose early in my
research. The interior finishing company I was able to observe was
installing new flooring tiles in a recently renovated grocery store.

4. User : Jared 25
Apprentice Floor Layer
User : Matt 31
Journeyman Floor Layer
User : “Swanny” 34
Journeyman Floor Layer
PEOPLE OBSERVED

5. WHAT I NOTICED
Floor layers are constantly on their
knees. This unique position wears on
your body and boots differently then
other trades.

6. FIELD N’ FOREST MENS WEDGE
WORK BOOTS
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 1 YEAR WITH TREATMENT
$154.99
RED WING SHOES 406 MEN’S 6 INCH
WORK BOOTS
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 2 YEARS WITH TREATMENT
$205.00
KEEN BOOTS: MEN’S BROWN 1007036
WEDGE SOLE EH WORK BOOTS
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 2 YEARS WITH TREATMENT
$154.99
User : Jared
Apprentice Floor Layer
“I chose this pair
because they were on
sale. It is a good boot
but still get beat up
easy laying floos”
User : Matt
Journeyman Floor Layer
“I enjoy the comfort of
this boot, but they
wear out quickly.”
User : “Swanny”
Journeyman Floor Layer
“I thought the toe
protection would make
for a longer life, but the
material didn’t hold up”
BOOTS OBSERVED

7. PAIN POINTS AND PROBLEMS AREAS
Stiff Ankle and Upper
Material Wear
Inelastic sole

8. Material Wear
All floor layers have to apply a product
known as TUFF TOE™. This product
will only slow down the wearing
process. Boot users in this market are
“happy when their boots last a year.”
Stiff Ankle and Upper
All the shoes I found in the field were stiff
with strong, durable materials. This leads
me to opportunities dealing with comfort
without decreasing material integrity.
Inelastic Sole
Most professions in the trade are reliant
on a rigid sole to optimize safety and
support. Although important, a more
flexible sole would be a great addition
to increase comfort when kneeling.

9. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL
I NEED TO:
Maintain Quality comfort
The current products available have
great reviews pertaining to comfort. I
want to focus on improving comfort
when the floor layer is in the kneeling
position. There are many ways to
improve comfort when considering the
top part of the shoe, which often is in
direct contact with the floor.
Increase durability
Current boot designs have little design
consideration when focusing on unique
jobs that the different trades encounter.
Creating a boot that focuses on the
tasks of a Floor Installer emphasis the
needs to overcome problems pertaining
to material wear.
Rethink the sole
Current technologies similar used in
running shoes offer lasting comfort and
maximize flex. These attributes can be a
unique approach to my boot redesign.

10. TRENDS, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE MARKET
consideration to drive the design

11. TRENDING SHOE DESIGN
My target market is younger Floor Installers that enjoy the current trends. I think
subtle installation of current sneaker trends into the classic boot could create a
new look without ruining the confidence our user has in the classic boot design.

12. Buyer/Seller : Max Connelly
“Retro Jordan’s and Kanye West’s
Yeezy's are alway highly anticipated
and are a good example of what
people in this market desire.”
“There is always a subtlety to their
designs and obvious comfort that puts
smiles on our buyer’s faces”
“ The urban/hip-hop demographic
has a big influence on trends that
reach a large variety of customers.”

13. TECHNOLOGIES IN SHOES
There are awesome new Technologies being utilized in athletic shoes. Sole redesigns are making for more
flexible shoes. The fly nit technologies allow for that flex while minimizing material ware and maximizing
ventilation. There are also other technologies being used to create more durable skateboarding shoes.

14. Material Technology
NIKE’s patented TPU injected toe
It is rumored that NIKE has
incorporated kevlar, which is used in
bullet proof vest, into their
skateboarding shoes. This material is
the pinnacle of technology used in
shoes
Skateboarder : Dylan Carlson
“Held up to two years of hard skating
and two years of casual wear. I still
wear them to this day.”
“ I always rocked fresh grip tape
because I never had to worry
about them shredding.”

15. Market Standards
Straying to far from market standards
is not something the user is looking to
buy. When a user is looking for a new
work boot, they will go for the style
that is familiar because it is something
they can be confident buying.
Buyer/Seller : Billy Cruebah
“The NIKE JORDAN 1 was released in
1984 and is still reference for market
standards today. This shoe was
designed in over 30 years ago , it is
still sought after and is a standard that
new designs strive to match.”
Today
Today
1980’s
1980’s

16. IDEATION, PROTOTYPES, AND USER TESTING
applying the research

17. MY TURN TO DESIGN
All the designs above have consideration to flex,
durability and comfort when kneeling.

20. BUILDING PROTOTYPE ONE
I started this process by gathering useful materials and products to tear apart and build with. One of the people I interviewed in my
research had an extra pair of Nike Zoom Tre skateboarding shoes(containing Nike patented rubber kevlar technology) and gave them to
me to apply to my prototype. The material shown here was torn off a 5 year old skateboarding shoe. It has very little wear and tare.

21. BUILDING PROTOTYPE ONE
I bought different yoga mats and rollers to attain EVA of many
different densities. I wanted to create a sole that utilizes different
densities to allow for flexing, without losing structural integrity.

23. TESTING PROTOTYPE ONE
Through out this ideation and prototyping process I have
been able to take part in working along side Floor installers.
During this time I was able to test my first prototype.

24. STRETCH SOLE REVIEW
The soft EVA material used was noticed by the
testers. “It was comfortable and would be great to
minimize any damage to a newly finished floor.”
TESTERS RATING

25. TOE FLEX REVIEW
“The toe flex was nice when moving around on my
knees.” The retracting part of this design seemed to
go unnoticed by most users.
TESTERS RATING

26. MATERIAL DURABILITY REVIEW
All testers liked the idea of the rubber kevlar
technology. I did get feedback on how the material
can be placed more purposefully.
TESTERS RATING

27. WHAT I NEED TO CHANGE
The design overall has an aesthetic which emphasizes the functions that exist in the boot. I think
this aesthetic has decreased the subtlety that I was hoping to achieve. For the next prototype I
will focus on hiding the function in effort to have the buyer desire the boot based on looks alone.
This Flex toe area worked well to increase mobility,
but it was too weak. I need to incorporate a more
rigid material while maintaining the range of motion.
Apply more rubber kevlar so the
material expands to the sides of the boot.
The rubber sole was hard to balance on. I need to incorporate a taper to increase stability.
Also, I don't like how the boot’s flex changes the boot’s size. I want to design a mechanism
that will guide the boot and maintain a consistent size when maximizing the range.
The heel portion of the design has good
movement. I need to be more considerate
on how the hand will interact with this area.

28. Next
Prototype 2