Climbing Shoes

Organic Climbers

ArtCenter College of Design
Semester 5

7 week project

*This is a school project with no association to Organic Climbing

VR Modeling / Storytelling

Following Organic Climbing's vision of uniqueness and customizability in their products these VR modeling project proposes what a climbing shoe and approach shoe could look like if they were made by the company.

Organic Climbing is an american manufacturer of crash pads and climbing bags, known for their high quality, handcrafted production and users ability to customize their products. But in climbing there's 1 product that stands out above all, one that Organic doesn't have: Climbing Shoes.

THE DOME

Red Rocks, Nevada (2063)

40 years from now, Las Vegas has expanded and covered most of the Mojave Desert, eliminating all natural areas and rock climbing locations. The sport is now almost exclusively done in indoor gyms, both from the lack of natural spaces and the rising atmospheric temperatures. However 1 area remains, “The Organic Dome”. In an attempt to keep climbing outdoors, “Organic Climbing” created a dome to protect the most dense rock climbing area in the desert, providing climbers a space to be themselves, be unique, and keep climbing organic.

SCENE MODELING

Organic Dome shows a glass dome in the middle of the city with people enjoying the community and atmosphere found in climbing culture.

I also used this scene as a way to present my project in a virtual reality environment, allowing people to feel immersed in the environment and the story of my products.

What if Organic expanded their line of products to include shoes?

APPROACH SHOES

I decided to create a small collection of 2 types of shoes usually found in climbing, an approach shoe, generally used to get to the boulder, and the climbing shoe, used to get up it.

Following biomechanic and functionality principles, I ideated different shapes that explored color and component blocking such as rubber protection placement and closure systems.

TECH PACK

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POSSIBLE COLORWAYS

The tech packs show a material breakdowns of all the components of the shoes.

Made with recycled components for a more sustainable construction following traditional high performance materials such as vulcanized rubber, and microfiber upper with minimal stretch to make fitting more accurate.

THE POWER OF CUSTOMIZATION

Customization is an important part of the user experience, It allows people to be unique and show their personality. For climbers, climbing becomes an important part of their personality, making their shoes a special part of who they are, even showing what type of climber they might be.

SELECTING THE COLORS

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The user has the ability to customize their shoes by selecting from a wide variety of available colors, arranging them in the 3 editable parts of the shoe.

GRAVITY SKETCH MODELING

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I used Virtual Reality to model the shoes using Gravity Sketch, which allowed me to understand and adjust dimensions and shapes using a last for dimensions.

By visualizing the design in 3 dimensions I was able to adjust the design to fit the proportions and placements of a real climbing and approach shoe.

CLIMB

Describe your image

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Designer for bouldering the shoe has a downturned profile and flexible mid-section for thin edges and heel hooks.

Fully rubber covered to allows for more comfort on steep overhangs where toe hooks are necessary.

Rubber rand locks down heel into the shoe while top velcro strap lock down foot arch to the shoe.

APPROACH