Kateem Trail Running Shoe by Florian Seidl is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2016 A' Design Award in Footwear, Shoes and Boots Design Competition Category.
IronFootwear· 2016
Kateem Trail Running Shoe
Client: Florian Seidl
A' Design Award Winner in Footwear Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #42437The Design
About Kateem Trail Running Shoe
A light weight trail running shoe that uses innovative materials and production techniques but also builds on traditional know-how to create a new running experience. The upper is made from semi-rigid panels like a stretchy exoskeleton - robust, water repellant and breathable. It has a carbon toe cap and precisely defined flex zones. Traditional lacing is easily adjustable, the sock-like inner and custom 3D printed insole guarantee perfect fit. The midsole is thin and has variable tread inlays. Feet are well protected and supported - empowering runners to perform better.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award
Kateem Trail Running Shoe is an Iron A' Design Award winner, a prestigious recognition granted to good designs that meet the professional and industrial requirements expected from well-designed creations. Iron winners demonstrate great skill, high specialization, expert understanding, and creative capacity of their creators. Kateem Trail Running Shoe is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished creation that is practical and innovative. This Iron A' Design Award-winning design integrates industry best practices and has competent technical characteristics linked with know-how and talent. Kateem Trail Running Shoe is respected for its thoroughness and is designed to provide quality of life improvements that help make the world a better place.
Interviews
Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
I guess the main idea lies in the creation of a running shoe with a flexible and protective exoskeleton made from semi-rigid 3D textile panels.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
It was very important for me to creat a good looking and special design for a trail running shoe that combines an adequate formal expression with exceptional ergonomics.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
There are currently no specific plans to develop Kateem further.
Grand Interview
Your innovative use of carbon fiber toe cap and stretchy exoskeleton in the Kateem Trail Running Shoe represents a significant advancement in trail running footwear - could you elaborate on how these specific material choices enhance both protection and performance for runners?
Well, it is actually rather simple: The carbon fibre toe cap provides great protection while also being extremely lightweight. In combination with the other semirigid panels it forms the flexible and stretchy exoskeleton. Providing real protection without much actual weight leads to a great running experience.
The Kateem Trail Running Shoe's custom 3D printed insole system marks a departure from traditional footwear manufacturing - what inspired this personalized approach, and how does it revolutionize the relationship between runner and shoe?
The idea here is really to use innovative and new manufacturing technologies to create something inspired and useful. Being able to create a personalized, ergonomic insole with the right materials in no time has incredible potential and gives a whole new meaning to the concept of tailor-made performance products.
The balance between ergonomic requirements and formal expression was cited as a main challenge in developing the Kateem Trail Running Shoe - could you walk us through your design process in achieving this delicate equilibrium?
The design process in this case was quite interesting. During the initial phase several different proposals were explored through sketches and quick foam models. With the general design direction chosen the design was further developed and based on a solid shoe last. This helped to make sure the ergonomic aspect was guaranteed while the expressive shape of the running shoe was actually created and modelled in clay.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- A tough and lightweight trail running shoe making use of new technology and traditional know-how. The upper panels form a stretchy exoskeleton. It is robust, water repellant, breathable, has a carbon toe cap and defined flex zones. A sock-like inner and custom 3D printed insole guarantee perfect fit. The thin midsole can be adjusted with different inlays. Function and ergonomics are expressed with bold volumes, controlled surfacing, striking colors and minimal graphics empowering runners to perform better and achieve more.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- shoe size 42 (EU)
dimensions approximately: 100m x 280 mm x 110mm - Tags
- concept, design, running, shoe, sneaker, trail, off-road, sport, extreme, innovative, carbon, 3D textile, 3D printing, custom, light weight
- Production Technology
- New manufacturing technologies and innovative or unusual materials are very important for this concept and make it really possible. The carbon fiber toe cap, the stretchy exoskeleton made from woven 3D textile mesh panels (used for the upper) and the custom 3D printed insole that guarantees a perfect fit for every individual foot and every runner are the main examples. The design does however also build on well-established and proven footwear technology to create an innovative product with exceptional performance.
- Design Challenge
- The main challenge for a project that is so closely related to the human body is the right balance between ergonomic and functional requirements and the desired formal expression.
- Research
- The concept is based on personal research analysing the market segment, the main competitors, the target group and relevant trends. Special focus was also put on ergonomics/anthropometrics and current and future materials and production techniques in the field of sneaker and sport shoe design. This research is mainly based on articles, literature review and interviews with experts. The findings were then transformed and translated in a tangible real world clay model and then refined in an extended formal research phase.
- Inspiration
- We are living in competitive times and sports and recreation are getting ever more important. So it is no surprise that trail running, a sport that offers the chance of real life adventures and competition outside in nature, is growing ever more popular. The main inspirations are coming from this off-road and sometimes extreme performance sport, new production techniques, rock formations, exoskeletons and low poly modeling for good measure.
- Project Duration
- Kateem is a private free time project that was developed and refined step by step on long evenings and during weekends. This lengthy process was finished in 2015 in Turin, Italy.
- Operation Flow
- The main aim is better protection and guidance for the foot of trail runners in rough and difficult terrain. The soft inner shoe is protected by a semi-rigid outer shell and a light weight carbon fiber toe cap. The 3D printed insole is an important ergonomic feature. Created individually with a specific profile for every runner rapid manufacturing techniques change the way footwear is designed. With traditional lacing - well known, reliable, easily adjustable - and the heel ribbon getting in and out of the shoe is really simple.
- Image Credits
- Image #1 : Photographer Florian Seidl, Kateem Product Shot 01, 2015.
Image #2 : Photographer Florian Seidl, Kateem Product Shot 02, 2015.
Image #3 : Photographer Florian Seidl, Kateem Product Shot 03, 2015.
Image #4 : Photographer Florian Seidl, Kateem Product Shot 04, 2015.
Image #5 : Designer Florian Seidl, Kateem Selected Sketches, 2015.
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