Cool and Warm Ptarmigan Sneaker Kit – Biomimicry for Young Children

What if, we could design a greener and cheaper shoe where you replace part of the shoe when the weather changes or when one part of the shoe is worn out?

My strongest memory of seeing ptarmigan comes from a skiing holiday in the Swedish mountains. I never really liked cross-country skiing and on a windy cold day, there was actually nothing that I disliked more.

And there the bitterly cold weather I spotted a ptarmigan. Even today, I can remember my surprise that the little white bird could survive in this cold climate while all I was thinking about was a hot cup of chocolate and a warm house.

Ptarmigans’ legs and feet are covered in feathers to keep them warm.  But the feathered feet may act like snowshoes so that ptarmigan can walk atop on soft snow.

Segmentation is a creative thinking  technique where you can divide an object into independent parts. Like dividing a shoe into different parts.

Sneakers are a billion pound business. Yet, all sneakers are built in the same way. They consist of a combination of soles and uppers.

Can you design a  shoe kit inspired by the ptarmigan’ feathered feet?

Be inspired by this picture but have some fun and make it a into a cool kit. You are not selling shoes but kits where different parts can be put together A cool sneaker or converse kit.

Photo: By Ómar Runólfsson – Rock Ptarmigan – Lagopus muta – RjúpaUploaded by Snowmanradio, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14846084

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