Background

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1. The mechanism of a sole was researched to see how our design could fit into the shoe. It was decided that the mechanism for the spikes would replace the plate of the shoe.
2. Hiking footwear was researched to learn how the sole should be formed around the mechanism of the spikes. If the sole is too rigid, the shoe would be more harmful than helpful when it comes to hiking. There were many variables to be considered while forming the base of the shoe.
Hiking Footwear

3. The spikes were researched to decide on how our spikes should look and be placed. Spikes for hiking shoes were looked at as a template for our spikes.
Kahtoola Microspikes

4.  Research on spikes and how they affect the forces on the shoe. The pressure from the foot on the spikes could affect the wearer's gait. How the spikes should be placed was looked at also in this paper.
Research

5. Biomimicry was wanted to be defined as to further understand how our invention will be likened to nature.
Biomimicry

6. How cats retract their claws was a topic of interest for this invention. A cat with a resting paw has its claws "retracted" so they can't be seen. Technically, they aren't retracted into a sheath, but more like folded up into the paw. When the cat wants to show their claws, a ligament pushes the claws out of their resting position.
Retractable Claws


7. To remove the sole of a shoe/boot, the stitches had to be taken out first. After that, the sole can be cut from the shoe, leaving the midsole attached to the body of the shoe. For cutting, an Exacto knife is mentioned, but a tiny circular saw can also be used.
Removing the Sole

8. For 3D printing to start, a program had to be made to design the items that are going to be used in the sole of the shoe. For this, Autodesk Fusion 360 was going to be used. It's found to be very useful in 3D printing models.
Autodesk Fusion 360 3D printing
9. For the prototype, 3D printed items will be used for the parts in the shoe. However, for the actual design, metal would be used in the sole. This meant that the type of metal to be used had to be chosen. Steel and aluminum were the best choices for this design.
Steel vs. Aluminum


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FAQs

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How many guys does it take to 3D print a component for the shoe? Apparently 5, but only 1 was on the computer. What material was used for the spikes and why? Aluminum was used for the spikes because it was the only metal available. Aluminum was good to use for the prototype because it was a metal and would hold up as a spike even if weight was put on it. If this design were to be made for real, it would probably be stainless steel. How do spikes help with walking across wet/icy terrain?  By having spikes on the bottom of ones shoes, the grip on the snow would be better. Spikes would dig into the ground better than any tracks on the bottom of the boots. What were some problems that occurred throughout this design?  While making the initial plans for the shoe, the original design that was decided upon had to be changed completely as the spikes wouldn't have been able to retract. Some materials that were going to be used couldn't be found or were too weak. The shoe...
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Project Overview

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This invention will be showing how biomimicry can be used to create a new idea. By observing how cats' claws can retract, our group has come up with a type of hiking shoe that has retractable spikes. These spikes will be useful for hikers who may be traversing snowy or watery terrain by helping with their grip. The target audience is mainly for hikers, but spiked shoes could be helpful for any type of backwoods traveling. If the spikes were substituted with softer spikes, these could even be a type of retractable cleats. Having retractable spikes already built into the hiking boot would be very beneficial for hiking. The hiker wouldn't have to carry spikes to put on if tough terrain occurs. They wouldn't have to stop to put on their spikes. All the wearer would have to do is activate the mechanism so the spikes come out. When they're not needed anymore, the spikes can be brought back into the shoe with a sliding switch.
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