DEVELOP3D - Technology for the product lifecycle

At this year’s Plastic Industry Awards, John Ewans Design (JED) received the ‘Consumer Product Design of the Year’ for the rather innovative Active Tools 2K Adjustable Rowing Shoe.

Traditional rowing shoes are made in the same way as normal training shoes and have to be manufactured in a range of sizes. As the shoes are fixed to the boats this causes problems as rowers either have to put up with shoes that are the wrong size or change them before going afloat, which is time consuming. The shoes also can’t be dried out or cleaned easily so they rapidly become both smelly and unhygienic.

JED were briefed to create adjustable, washable rowing shoes that would address this market gap. The new Active Tools 2K Rowing Shoes address these problems by being adjustable from UK size 9 to 14 and having their outer shells moulded from a soft EVA/TPO foam, so they can be washed and kept clean and hygienic. The shoes are silver to reduce heat gain in hot climates.

Read more…