FOOTWEAR STUDIO // SPRING 2026
the FROGGER JOGGER
The heel striker’s ideal road shoe. Amphibian-inspired with athletes in mind.
brief
For this project, I was to assume that I was designing a new footwear cushioning technology. The technology could go anywhere underfoot. I was to think about this as a broad situation as a broad solution, similar to the Nike Air or Adidas Boost technology. This was to be a concept that could ideally be tuned for application to multiple different sports.
For this project, each designer was randomly assigned a different biomimicry prompt. We were to research our biomimicry prompts to identify ways to provide cushioning, protection, spring, or other possible features that could be translated to a footwear midsole.
My biomimicry prompt was amphibians.
HOW CAN WE CREATE A FOOTWEAR CUSHIONING CONCEPT USING AMPHIBIAN-INSPIRED BIOMIMICRY CONCEPTS THAT BENEFIT THE ROAD RUNNING MECHANICS OF HEEL STRIKERS?
Sketch Ideation
CAD Modeling
Cross sections from Rhino 3D
Final shoe concept
Rendered using HILOS - Interplay
Exoskeleton - uses the anatomical structure of a frog to maximize energy return
Propulsion Plate - added stability and maximized heel-to-toe transition
Double-Legged Heel - for a wider, more stabilized ground contact
