Note: I've sketched a lot of other designs and concepts on random pieces of paper, but these are my two clean and nearly complete drawings.

Design Setbacks

In the past two weeks I have been focusing on design concepts that would provide solid ankle support for the shoes. So far, I have been analyzing how the ankle operates, and how a typical basketball shoe helps support this joint. During this designing process, I've been challenged with the same problems that I initially thought would give me trouble: maintaining ankle support while keeping the weight of the shoes low. To address this problem, I'm planning on working with a layered design, which would provide more support at more specific regions as opposed to the entire shoe. Additionally, I've been doing some preliminary research on materials, and I plan on contacting a company to see what materials they use.

This week I have been playing a bit of basketball and I have noticed the importance of traction that the sole of the shoe provides. I think poor traction can lead to many injuries, including rolled ankles, so I will also keep this in mind when I am designing.

First rough sketch 3/2/15

20 Time: Designing a Lightweight Basketball Shoe

For my 20 Time Project, which I will be dedicating 20% of my class time towards, I will be addressing a problem I have had since I was six years old. As a former basketball player, I've always felt like the weight of my basketball shoes has held me back. From my experience, basketball shoes are thick, heavy, and bulky, which hinder performance by slowing movement and increasing fatigue. On the other hand, running shoes are light and flexible, but can't be worn for basketball because they provide no ankle support. In any given basketball game, players will need to push off either foot in all directions, so ankle support is more of a necessity rather than a precaution. My ideal shoe will be a combination of these two designs to create a shoe for optimal performance. Since prototyping different designs and measuring their respective weights is unfeasible, it will be tough to compare designs. That being said, I will focus on minimizing heavy material and incorporate mesh-like materials into the design. Moving forward, I will continue to sketch my ideas and research the causes of ankle injuries.