In my Space/Materiality class, we were asked to construct a Body Extension part. I used cardboard to design a shoe as a way to present myself. The shoe interprets people’s desire of speed and dream. I got the inspiration from the Chinese fairy tale Prince Nezha’s Triumph Against Dragon King. The main character Nezha is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion.
The figure Nezha always has two Hot Wheels under his feet which gave him power and energy to against evil. Because of those two wheels, he has the ability to go anyway on earth. Therefore, I made two wheels and set them on each side of my shoe and add flame near them to show my respect to this character. Meanwhile, this shoe represents my desire of getting power and speed.
The experience of making this shoe was pretty fun. Basically the main material I used is cardboard, but I also add the second material metal paper as well. The platonic solid I choose is triangle as they are the strongest and most stable shape. I used nails and screws to connect the cardboard pieces together and the outcome was nice. During the making process, I learnt the importance of measuring, each little step is very important.
The best part of my project is the shape of the shoe and how strong the work is. The nail and screw connect the separate pieces so well that I do not need to fix them at the end and the wheel can spin while people is walking with the shoe on. Meanwhile, the inspiration and my idea of design fit together. If I could improve my project, I would choose to use shorter nails and screws so that people can wear the shoe more comfortably.
