Brand
Duration
Catogory
Nike Sb
14 Weeks
Skateboarding
Concept Development
Digital Modeling
Form Exploration
Photoshop
Gravity sketch
Fusion 360
Adobe Substance
Keyshot
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Outdoor Utility
Shaped by environments where durability, function, and technical performance are essential for navigating demanding terrain.
elevated Fashion
Defined by the language of the runway, where refined form, bold silhouettes, and sculptural presence become a statement.
BUILT FOR DESTRUCTION
Skate shoes are built for abuse, but designed around replacement rather than longevity.
High abrasion areas determine the usable life of the shoe. Localized material failure leads to disposal of the entire product, even when the majority of the shoe remains structurally intact.
CONSISTENT FAILURE POINTS
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Toe Cap & Vamp Seam: Repeated grip tape abrasion along the front of the shoe.
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Heel Quarter: Friction and repeated use wear down the heel.
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Laces: Repeated grip tape contact causes fraying and breakage.
These areas are typically the first to wear through, and excessive damage to even one can compromise the functionality of the entire shoe.
What if skate shoes could be designed to replace only what wears out, extending their lifespan without replacing the entire shoe?
Deconstructing the benchmark
Benchmark Knolling Diagram
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Numerous overlapping materials and components
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Adhesives permanently bond most upper layers
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Complex construction limits separation and recovery
Simplifying the Construction
Initial Exploration
Explored reshaping the original SB Dunk panels, reworking the existing construction into separate protective and replaceable components.
Simplifying the Construction
Focused on reducing overlapping panels and finding ways to introduce modularity through simpler, separable components.
Simplifying the Construction
Focused on reducing overlapping panels and finding ways to introduce modularity through simpler, separable components.
Developing the Protective Frame
Moved beyond individual protective panels to develop a unified outer frame, concentrating abrasion resistance into a removable structure while maintaining the core shoe as an independent component.
Early Form Prototypes
Developed quick physical mockups to explore proportions and silhouette, refining how the protective frame wraps around the toe and forefoot while simplifying panel transitions and increasing coverage in high abrasion areas.
Finalized the design direction toward a two part system, separating the inner core shoe from a removable outer protective shield. Explored different attachment methods to securely connect both components while maintaining the flexibility to function independently.
Defining the 2 part System
TWIST LOCK SYSTEM
Why It Failed
The BOA twist closure restricted the frame from opening wide enough for easy removal. Its added complexity led to a simpler strap based system.
REFINING THE FINAL SYSTEM
Developed the initial form in Gravity Sketch before moving into Fusion 360 to refine the geometry. The closure was redesigned with adjustable Velcro straps, allowing for easier assembly and removal while maintaining a secure fit. These refinements helped finalize the proportions, attachment points, and overall construction of the two part system.
DUNK EXO
Replace what wears. Keep what lasts.
A two part skate shoe system that separates everyday wear from skate protection. The removable outer frame takes on abrasion and can be replaced independently, extending the lifespan of the core shoe.
core shoe
Designed as a lightweight standalone shoe for everyday use. Its simplified construction focuses on comfort and flexibility, while the protective frame can be added when it's time to skate.
EXO-Frame
A removable outer frame designed to provide structure and abrasion resistance during skateboarding. Built to absorb the majority of wear, the frame can be replaced independently while keeping the core shoe in use.
ASSEMBLING THE SYSTEM
The core shoe slides into the Exo frame and is secured with two adjustable straps. Together, the components create a structured skate shoe designed to withstand high abrasion while protecting the inner shoe.
DUNK EXO
Built for abrasion and designed for repeated use. Dunk Exo combines the flexibility of an everyday shoe with replaceable skate protection, allowing the system to stay in service longer.
Benchmark Knolling Diagram
14 total parts reduce overall construction complexity compared with the 35-part benchmark.
Reducing permanently bonded layers allows individual components to be repaired or replaced more easily, while simplifying the disassembly process and improving material separation and recovery at the end of the shoe's life.
Engineered
Hemp Knit
65% hemp and 35% ECONYL engineered knit reduces material complexity.
MuSkin
Mushroom Suede
MuSkin mushroom derived suede replaces conventional pigskin leather overlays.
Corn Latex
Blend Rubber
Corn filled natural rubber replaces part of the petroleum based outsole compound.
key Materials
The LCA identified the original SB Dunk's main environmental hotspots and evaluated the improvements made through the redesign. By reducing the part count and incorporating more sustainable material alternatives, the redesign showed an estimated 39.4% reduction in carbon impact compared to the original shoe.
Texture application
Used Adobe Substance to develop the engineered knit pattern and refine surface textures and material details across the upper. Exported displacement maps to apply these textures to the 3D model for physical prototyping and 3D printing.
Completed physical prototype
3D printed the final multi part prototype in flexible TPU at 1:1 scale to test the fit and assembly of the core shoe and protective frame. The physical prototype helped validate the overall proportions, component separation, and functionality of the two part system.
