The Northern Over Boot
A boot that’s worn over other footwear, allowing people to wear what’s comfortable for them in harsh weather conditions.
4th Year Capstone Project
Individual Research & Product
September 2022 - April 2023
8 Month Project
About The Project
Opportunity
The town Mayo, Yukon community wants a product that will protect their runners, flats, slippers, mukluks, moccasins, and other footwear from various weather conditions. They want a product they can produce in the community for the community, representing their Northern pride, combating high shipping prices, and creating more economic opportunities.
Solution
The over boot is designed to be compatible with a variety of shoes, from Mukluks to runners, it allows users to wear what they want, and be protected from outdoor conditions. The product is waterproof, slip-proof, adjustable, and warm. The manufacturing process is designed to be producible in remote communities.
Co-Design and Culture
Hologram
Throughout the project, different community members were consulted using the hologram machines at Carleton University and in Mayo. The meetings with different people allowed for virtual forms of collaboration before the in-person experience. This improved the overall understanding of the town and possibly design opportunities.
Hologram meeting with community members in Mayo.
Mayo, Yukon
Mayo is located in the center of the Yukon, they experience a variety of harsh weather conditions, especially during winter. However, the people who are part of this community are incredibly talented, kind, open-minded, and welcoming.
Main Street in Mayo, Yukon.
Crafting and Art
Discovering the importance of individuality in the form of art such as beading informed the features of the product throughout the definitive design. Some forms of their traditional crafting include porcupine quilling, moose hair tufting, fish scaling, and beading.
Beading done by an Elder.
Footwear in the Community
Researching desirable features in winter footwear included looking at what community members wear every day and asking questions. Conducting interviews to identify why specific footwear was chosen proved to be highly beneficial.
Mukluks made by an Elder.
Mukluk Creation and Learning
Creating mukluks with Elders and other community members expanded the understanding of traditional footwear and the design features that are incorporated. The experience revealed different design opportunities that could be tackled within this project.
Mukluks and beading made by Isabel Dukes
Footwear in the World
Modern footwear has evolved to meet the demands of many users, blending style, comfort, and functionality. Today's footwear designs showcase a harmonious fusion of innovative materials, cutting-edge technology, and fashion-forward aesthetics. Throughout research on modern footwear, the current market, and user needs, it was determined that many people have comfortable, ergonomic footwear that provides proper support for everyday wear. Exploring existing winter boot solutions shed light on the discomfort many have in the wintertime, including taking different footwear on and off.
Unisex winter boot, by Nat’s. Classic winter boot look.
Fresh Foam X 1080v12, by New Balance. An economic runner.
Hyke Aoh-010 Hi BA8364, by Adidas. An adjustable hiking shoe.
3D Printed Footwear, by Under Armour. A 3D printed concept.
Here, the research confirmed that moving away from creating a new product that isn’t distinguishable from existing products is the right move. This solidified that designing a system that doesn’t infringe on the current market, but instead expands the concept of winter footwear will overall enhance the user experience and comfort in their winter attire.
Prototyping
Prototyping was done throughout multiple stages of the project, the variety of different prototypes allowed for various different ideas to be tested. The number of low-fidelity prototypes also encouraged a lot of idea generation and allowed for meetings with community members to be far more productive considering they could see the physical elements of the product.
Idea generation using different materials and features, exploring options, styles, and ideas. Low-fidelity prototyping.
Easy on-and-off methods
Accessibility for elders
Adjustability
Resistant to cold temperatures
Resistant to wet conditions
Made of available resources
Many insights were gained through this process, including identifying product-specific user needs. These needs included;
User Testing
User testing was done both in Ottawa with different people as well as in Mayo with community members. In Ottawa, ergonomics and function were explored, providing a good base before being able to conduct testing in the Yukon. Questions such as use were also asked to people in Ottawa, this helped gain knowledge of how the product could be used outside of the Yukon, to gain a better understanding of how broad the market could be.
Prototype tested with the Mayo community.
Community member interview.
While in the Yukon, lots of questions were asked and answered by a variety of community members. People between the ages of 8 and 94 were interviewed. Community members provided insights into their daily routine, how they choose footwear through the different seasons, and what they thought about the current design.
Elders expressed the importance of their mukluks and the individuality and customization that they enjoy. Many community members thought the product would be very convenient in a variety of situations and especially liked how it could improve the lives of older community members. There was a large number of older community members who said they often wear slippers or comfortable loose footwear indoors due to their ankles and feet swelling, they currently struggle in the colder seasons when it comes to wearing outdoor winter boots because of this. These members in particular found the opportunity of wearing their comfortable slippers inside a warm outer boot to be incredibly desirable.
Use Cycle
Be Comfortable Ability to wear familiar shoes that you like.
Leaving the House With comfortable shoes on, worn in the overboot.
Be Prepared for Various Conditions. Deep snow, snowmobiling, winter camping, and slush.
Remove the Boot Easy removal for when you go outside
Design Refinement
Refining the design with all the knowledge gained meant that the product has to be manufacturable within the community, needs to provide an opportunity for personalization, has to use materials that are transportable, needs to be warm and insulated, and has to be accessible to all community members in terms of features. The final design takes the community’s needs and applies them. With this design, the over boot isn’t just useful for this community, but for other communities with cold winter weather conditions too.
Final Full Model
Section View Model
Production
3D Printing
Printing the 2-part mould for the sole.
Pouring Silicone
Mixing the RTV2 silicone together then pouring it into the mould.
Assembling
A combination of sewing, assembly, and adhesives.
Selling
Selling the over boot within and out of the community.
Final Design
The Northern Over Boot allows people to wear what’s comfortable for them in harsh winter weather conditions, it’s produced in the Northern community of Mayo, Yukon to ease their lives in the winter. It’s features allow the product to be user friendly and accessable to a large variety of people.
The look and feel of the product represents different aspects of the community and their values.
Clip and Cinch; the cinch lets the user adjust the over boot to comfortably fit around their foot. The clip is made of metal to avoid plastics breaking in extreme colds. It also provides easy removal.
Insulation; different layers of materials including Thinsulate and Gore-Tex help make the outer boot warm and waterproof. The back zipper allows for quick and easy slip on and off
Laces; adjustable on either side of the over boot, and cinchable at the top. The laces allow the user adjust the boot to their desired tightness.
Sole; made of silicone, and designed for grip. Symbolizing feathers, the Northern Lights, and the river in its design. All very significant things in Mayo.