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Krank Vol1:
Introducing BOA to Performance Basketball Sneakers
ALL CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCED BY TAMIA SANTIAGO UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE
The Concept
The most common basketball ankle injury is an inversion injury causing strain to the anterior talofibular ligament, the calcaneofibular ligament, and the posterior talofibular ligament
of pro and semi pro basketball players'
injuries are ankle related
22%
I studied the ankle's response to injury and how its ligament structure aims to prevent it
High top sneaker silhouettes, TPU cages, and stiff material are primarily used as a response
The Interview
Statistics are nothing without context. Therefore, I interviewed NBA G-league PF
Daeqwon Plowden for insight.
Main Takeaways:
Favored Harden Vol. 7 lockdown structure
Favors Nike PG nostalgic PS2 colorway
Prefers laces for desire tension
Feels exposed in low top sneakers
During my ideation phases, I looked to the function of the ankle to better understand how stability in the foot functions. Particularly studying the two main stabilizers in the ankle joint: the Tibiocalcaneal & Tibionavicular ligaments. Their primary role is to tighten when the foot concaves and stretch when the foot is convex. I took this inspiration to sketch biomimicking forms that function like so within the upper of a sneaker.
From my sketches, I began to prototype the same shape into a lacing mechanism that overlays the medial and lateral of the foot and is pulled together by a single lace (BOA tech). This idea for placement actually came after interviewing NBA G-League player Daeqwon Plowden on his experience with basketball sneakers' performance. He mentioned enjoying the Harden Vol. 7 lacing lockdown system, so I drew inspiration from its techpack working closely with Footwear Designer Jalal Enayah to better understand his design.
After prototyping I began to sketch again learning from previous discoveries.
Factory communication
This was the techpack sent over to engineers to construct the sample.
There are a total of 4 layers:
1: Base layer
2: Ligament lockdown structure with BOA cable and eye stays
3: Heel clip with BOA clamp
4: Stroud overlay
For color and material design I wanted to evoke nostalgia for the Gen Alpha rookie of 2030. Specifically, allowing the CAM design to tell a story by referencing the most viewed television genre of the generation: anime. I decided to pursue this route after discovering the statistic that 70 percent of Gen Z and Gen Alpha watch anime daily. Additionally, the power of nostalgia in a consumer's choice was reinforced by my muse's comment on choosing his current sneaker the Nike PGs because their CAM design reminds him of the PS2.
I chose three main colorways to kickstart the project: One piece, Deathnote, and Dragon Ball Z. All extremely popular and recognizable mainstream manga series.
The Results
Mechanical testing performed by Adidas athlete services for Torsion Stiffness
Score: 5.4/5.0 [Met Adidas standard]
Original sneaker score: 5.2/ 5.1
Tester notes: The BOA lacing system is likely to be the cause of the Krank Vol 1 testing slightly stiffer than the Trae Young 1
ALL CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCED BY TAMIA SANTIAGO UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE
The Feedback
After testing out the sample, I documented feedback from basketball athletes, athlete services, and footwear experts. These were my findings
BOA placement on lateral exposes it to contact and opportunity for damage
The number of eye stays do not allow for the BOA cable to transition smoothly
Athletes experience overheating in the toe box and arch area
Seamless silhouette and design was favored
Shoe lacing convenience
Athletes felt the lockdown security during explosive lateral movements
To be continued...
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