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Tenaya-Sports Climbing Footwear Innovation
Fall 2022
Story telling
Footwear design innovation
Material Innovation
14-week-project
(Student project, the content does not represent the brand)
Let the story dictate design direction.
Aspirational Heritage
Brand Story
Tenaya Sports was founded in 1997 in Spain and has since push the innovation of climbing footwear till this day.
Their shoes are known for their precision fit, excellent grip, and durability, making them a trusted brand in the climbing community.
Tenaya Sports inherited the rich Spanish footwear manufacturing industry.
Outdoor Bouldering
Sports Story
Meticulous Unity
Outdoor bouldering is a ropeless form of rock climbing on boulder-sized rock formations in natural settings.
Every decision and movement need to be meticulous and no room for error.
Outdoor bouldering also requires the unity of body and mind.
Consumer Story
Relentless Veterans
Our Consumers are veterans that represents the top 1% of the climbing community.
They have profound enthusiasm at a young age, and have advanced levels of bouldering and mastery of skills.
Our consumers are relentless, they overcame injuries and pains to reach the ultimate satisfaction, to chase dreams that does not seem reachable.
Bio-mechanics of foot movements in outdoor bouldering, capturing the movement of our veteran climbers
Forefoot Hook
Smearing
Heel Hook
Forefoot Hook
1/3
What if instinct exceeds limitations
How Could we evoke synergy?
Concept: Climbing footwear that simultaneously adjust with our veteran climbers' movement through material innovation. Achieving meticulous unity and unleash full potential.
Material innovation
Meticulous adjustment and unity in movement
through compression and extension.
Omni-Fiber material created by MIT media lab: Overview ‹ OmniFiber: Strain-tunable Fluidic Fiber Actuators for Soft Robotic Textiles and Autonomous Garments — MIT Media Lab
Omni-Fiber
Motion detection Fabric
+
Quilted mesh with integrated motion sensor.
Omni-Fiber
Primitive Sketches
Biomechanic observation
Footwear component ideation
Refined direction
Biomechanic observation
1/4
Omni-Fiber placement
Omni-Fiber is placed on the 3 pivotal zone of the foot based on biomechanics study of bouldering.
Foot lateral side
Foot medial side
Foot wear lateral side
Foot wear medial side
01 In Sync Detection of foot motion
The knitted Sensor detected the range of motion and triggers the Omni-Fiber.
02 Simultaneous movements of Omni-Fiber
03 Outcome
The degree of Omni-Fiber compression of extension is affected by the intensity of foot movement.
Situation 1: Forefoot hook
01 Plantar Flexion Detected
02 Omni-Fiber Movement
03 In Sync Movement
Situation 2: Smearing
01 Dorsi flexion to Plantar flexion
02 Omni-Fiber Movement
03 In Sync Movement
Situation 3: Relaxation of foot
01 Foot relaxation
02 Omni-Fiber Movement
03 In Sync Movement
Concept overview
Footwear renderings in Adobe Photoshop
Quarter View
Tech-pack(part of tech pack)
overView
Describe your image
Quarter View
1/5
For full design process,ideation sketches and full tech pack, contact me at: zli5@inside.artcenter.edu
Concept visualization
Lateral View
Medial View
Lateral 3/4 View
The Tenaya frog is the in the middle of Omni fiber, creating
visual focus.
Vibram XSGRIP Outsole for optimal friction and performance .
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