Drafting/Sketching
Laser Cut File
Process
Final Shoe
Conclusion
This assignment was my first attempt at drafting and prototyping a shoe. While I was familiar with the laser cutting process, creating a shoe out of flat shapes was something entirely new to me, and required me to think differently from what I am used to. I began with sketching shoes similar to shoes I already own and wear, but adding personal flair to it. This lead to the creation of a sandal/slide with decals that give more body to the form as well as a personal touch. Next I took my sketches and scaled them in illustrator, making flat patterns for the laser cutter.
While the final form was close to what I had in mind, I did run into some challenges along the way, and would have done a few things differently if given the opportunity. For one, while my measurements were close to perfect, the straps to hold my shoe to my foot were not the correct shape and angle on the inner side. Because of this, the alignment of the straps are incorrect. Unfortunately, with the strict covid scheduling, I could not make it back to the laser lab to cut out new straps. Additionally, I think if I were to go back and recut, I would have the straps built into the main shoe form rather than having separate straps that I need to attach during construction.
What I found most difficult was “flattening” the form onto a laser cut file. Things like the angle of my straps looked perfect on paper, but when brought to 3D no longer lined up the way I wanted. In the end, while my shoe holds up, there are a quite a few details I would have liked to tweak and redo.
Overall, I think this was a positive learning experience for me. While I work in 3D usually with pottery, having to think from 2D into 3D is something I would like to become better at, and I think making a shoe was a great place to start. Due to the mistakes I made along the way, I learned a lot about curves and angles being translated from 2D to 3D.
