The xClinic announces it’s test of the second prototype of the Hot Rod Hi-Heel Project and experiences catastrophic failure! It broke, time to re-visit the carbon fiber mold.

About the Hot Rod Hi-Heel Project:

An accessory for the feminine urban athlete, the Hot Rod Hi-Heel Project is the extreme sports shoe for todays power feminist increasing her mobility in the urban environment. Too often we write off these fashion accessories as painful, crippling and demeaning, forgetting the measurable advantage of those extra few inches both physically and psychologically for the wearer.

Due to many recent layoffs, today for the first time in ever there are more woman in the work force than men, only 40 years ago that number was only 30%. The Hot Rod Hi-Heel is an intelligent footwear choice for these woman fulfilling multiple roles in society as professionals, care givers and women. Hijacking the theories of third wave feminism, the xClinic wishes to disempower the subjective male-gaze and re-energize the sheer force of a constrained achilles tendon.

A transportation alternative, the Hot Rod Hi-Heel re-thinks the ‘achilles heel’ of female corporate power executives around the world, it’s spring-like carbon fiber heel goes beyond just lateral stability and is an amalgamation of technology (complete with linked iphone application) and mechanical engineering (specific energy return / stride increase).

The free iphone application, developed by the xClinic, uses the built in accelerometer to measure shock absorption and specific energy return, documenting an over 80% energy return in joules to the body and an 40% increase in stride length for the Hot Rod Hi-Heel user.

The Hot Rod Hi-Heel Project is a collaboration between the carbon fiber jewelry designer Adam Weeks, fashion designer Diana Baltazar and Natalie Jeremijenko(xClinic).

 

 

1. Side View of Leaf Spring

2. Back View: Note the off-center positioning of the spring heel in relation to the horizontal axis 

3. Bottom View: The spring has been curved slightly to one side to account for the asymmetry of the walking step. 4. Rear View: Fiber changes orientation in this area. This section is reinfoced with 3" of +/-45 fiber instead of the standard 0/90 decree fiber orientation. This makes for somewhat of a progressive rate spring, producing a stiffening effect, resisting torsional or twisting loads and providing greater stability.Â

4. Inner Plate: Used to distribute the clamping load of the machine screws. 

5. Spring Mount

6. Adjusted Height at Resting (No Wearer): The new height of the spring-loaded shoe is approximately 5/8" higher than the stock height of the original BCBG heel. When normal body weight is placed on the spring, it compresses to the stock height.Â

 

 

Check out Adam’s website at http://www.carbonfiberbracelets.com/

The effectiveness of FitFlops were analysed through recordings of 3-Dimensional motions and forces during gait. EMG data were collected on the Medial Gastrocnemius, Tibialis Anterior, Quadriceps and Hamstrings.

Moondial

Alison Lewis   <– In particular check out her links page for a MASSIVE list of resources for all your fashion, physical computing, and conductive textiles needs!!!

ZCouture Fashiontech Panel Contest   <– Coming up this fall! Send them a short essay, win a prize!

Victor Chu, founder of Legwork and a seasoned designer of women’s shoes, also has a very interesting fashion technology portfolio.

Learn more about this research.

Carbon fibers are classified by the tensile modulus of the fiber. Tensile modulus is a measure of how much pulling force a certain diameter fiber can exert without breaking. The English unit of measurement is pounds of force per square inch of cross-sectional area, or psi. Carbon fibers classified as “low modulus” have a tensile modulus below 34.8 million psi (240 million kPa). Other classifications, in ascending order of tensile modulus, include “standard modulus,” “intermediate modulus,” “high modulus,” and “ultrahigh modulus.” Ultrahigh modulus carbon fibers have a tensile modulus of 72.5 -145.0 million psi (500 million-1.0 billion kPa). As a comparison, steel has a tensile modulus of about 29 million psi (200 million kPa). Thus, the strongest carbon fibers are ten times stronger than steel and eight times that of aluminum, not to mention much lighter than both materials, 5 and 1.5 times, respectively. Additionally, their fatigue properties are superior to all known metallic structures, and they are one of the most corrosion-resistant materials available, when coupled with the proper resins.

Below are comparisons of the characteristics of Carbon Fiber, Glass Fiber, Aluminum, and Steel:

 

We asked New York City women about their relationship with their heels. Here’s what we found out:

 

Colleen 

1. How often do you wear heels? Everyday.

2. On what occasions do you wear them? To work, going out, to the deli…

3. What kinds of shoes do you like? Something over the top of VERY plain. I prefer something with a high heel, but recently started wearing some lower heel and even flat shoes (sneakers).

4. How do you feel about high heels? I feel like some of my legs are missing when I do not have them on… Sometimes they are painful, but when I wear flat shoes I get pains in my legs because they’re not used to stretching so much that my heel can hit the ground. 

5. How high are your heels? 2.5-4inches.

6. What kind of heels do you like? I have many stiletto heels, but usually wear medium thickness, because most boots come with those kind of heels. In the summer, I wear a lot more really thin heels because I don’t like clunky open shoes unless they are a wedge heel to make a statement. 

7. How often do you buy shoes? I am always on the hunt! I buy them as soon as I find the right pair for the right price!

8. How often do you buy high heels? Every shoe I purchase is high-heeled… well about 95%.

9. What criteria do you use to buy shoes? I am always hunting for the sexy high heel shoe that has some sort of comfort and can really hold up well. I tend to kill shoes with the amount that I pound the pavement. Nothing is worse than getting a flat tire in the middle of the day when you still have hours of running up and down subway steps left. 

10. How many pairs of heels do you have? More than 75.

11. Would you say you develop an emotional attachment to your shoes? YES!! When I find a good pair, I do everything I can to make them last. My shoemaker is as important as my real doctor. When my shoes are on their way out, I will save those last wears (sometimes for months) until I have a special occasion to retire them for. I have a shoe graveyard that gets cleaned out twice a year. I get sad, but then I try to buy more shoes to fill the void. I talk about shoes from the past like they were relatives who passed away! I even took shoe making classes at FIT to see if there were ways I could make my shoes last longer or make shoes myself that would last longer!

12. How often do you walk? I walk for many hours everyday. I do, on average, about 3000 stairs a day in addition to the walking. I am almost always carrying something very heavy too. 

13. For what reasons do you choose to walk/not to walk? If there is ever an elevator or an escalator, I will wait– any opportunity to not have to do another stair is taken! I also live in a 6th floor walk up and I have a dog that has to go out at least 3 times a day– that is over 600 stairs right there. And that is if I don’t go anywhere, like work or to eat something or to see friends. ANY opportunity to not have to take stairs I will take– even if it makes me late! Also, sometimes I take cabs when I just can’t carry something because I will blow out my shoes– which has happened on numerous occasions!! 

 

Beth

1. How often do you wear heels? 2-3 times a week.

2. On what occasions do you wear them? Mostly for work, sometimes to go out at night.

3. What kinds of shoes do you like? I like shoes that are classy, but not too conservative.

4. How do you feel about high heels? Heels are a combination of sexy and painful… but also elegant. Low heels are ok, but I rarely wear super-high heels, especially if I need to walk anywhere (which I usually do).

5. How high are your heels? Most of my heels are about 2″ tall. 

6. What kind o heels do you like? Generally kitten heels. Don’t like chunky heels, and stilettos, while sexy, are just too ouchy to wear.

7. How often do you buy heels? Maybe 2-3 times a year. 

8. What criteria do you use to buy shoes? They have to be versatile – e.g. can wear with many outfits, beautiful (of course) and also comfortable.

9. How many pairs of shoes do you have? How many pairs of high heels? Around 20 pairs (more or less), and about a third are high heels.

10. Would you say you develop an emotional attachment to your shoes? No.

11. How often do you walk? For what reasons do you choose to walk/not to walk? I do significant walking only 3 days a week, as I have to commute by car the other 4… If I could, it would be every day though.

 

Samantha

1. How often do you wear heels? On what occasions do you wear them? I used to wear them every day- until I got pantar fasciatius and now have to wear sneakers with an orthodic. Wish there was a sexy shoe that would hold an orthodic, so I could go back to heels. I have over 300 pairs of brand new shoes that need to go on Ebay– classic, sexy style– always in fashion.

2. What kinds of shoes do you like? Never met a shoe I couldn’t love– want them in all styles & colors to match my outfits. For daily wear, a small not-too-thin heel that I can walk in without tripping and falling. Special events, something more sexy and slutty (but with class).

3. How do you feel about high heels? Painful, sexy, frivolous, confidence-boosters– depending on the shoe. There are some sexy comfortable ones. 

4. How high are your heels? What kind of heels do you like? For work and walking, 2-inch heels– solid, not chunky. For evening, 3 inches, and slimmer. 

5. How often do you buy high heels? Before I had foot problems, whenever a pair caught my attention. Funny thing about shoes– no matter how much weight you gain, and you may not want to buy that extra size in clothes, you can always buy more shoes. 

6. What criteria do you use to buy shoes? I like all kinds of shoes, but they always have to be relatively comfortable. 

7. How many pairs of shoes do you have? High heels? Over 300– mostly heels, about 95%– and then a few flats and sexy boots. I don’t count my sneakers in this total. 

8. Would you say you develop an emotional attachment to your shoes? Yes– as I still have all of them, even though I have not been able to wear them for the past 5 years. I do sneak in some for special occasions– can’t wear sneakers during a formal party– even if I have to wear them to & from.

9. How often do you walk? For what reasons do you choose to walk/not to walk? I walk all the time– fastest way to get somewhere and sometimes the most direct.

Notes: I am passionate about shoes and would love to be further involved in your endeavors– even as a beta tester for a prototype. –Samantha

 

Sarah

1. How often do you wear heels? Twice a year-ish.

2. What kinds of shoes do you like? Sneakers and comfy nicer black shoes with height, platformy sort of, tall boots with height too. 

3. How do you feel about high heels? Very sexy! But impossible for me to feel great in them all night because too uncomfortable. 

4. What kind of heels do you like? Chunky or kitten heels.

5. How often do you buy shoes? Not often.

6. What criteria do you use to buy shoes? Cute and Comfortable.

7. How many pairs of shoes do you have? How many pairs of high heels? 23 pairs of shoes. 2 pairs of high heels.

8. Would you say you develop an emotional attachment to your shoes? No, not a huge shoe person. Grow huge attachment to coats and other apparel though. 

9. How often do you walk? For what reasons do you choose to walk/not to walk? I love walking. But only if my feet feel good. And not when it’s too cold. 

 

Bret

1. How often do you wear heels? Just about every day. 

2. What kinds of shoes do you like? When you wear heels as much as I do, you can tell teh difference between a well-made shoe and well, everything else. So I always look for shoes made in Italy or Europe– sling backs, pumps, boots, etal. 

3. How do you feel about high heels? Nothing looks as put together as a beautiful high-heeled shoe. And when you buy good quality, they are usually quite comfortable. 

4. How high are your heels? What kind of heels do you like? Thin, kitten, stiletto, louis heel– from 2 to 5 inches.

5. How often do you buy high heels? Whenever I can.

6. What criteria do you use to buy shoes? Beautiful, well-made, and “me” — if I stick with that, everything else usually falls into place. 

7. How many pairs of shoes do you have? High heels? Total: over 50. High heels: about 35. 

8. Would you say you develop an emotional attachment to your shoes? Absolutely.

9. How often do you walk? For what reasons do you choose to walk/ not to walk? All the time. I am a runner as well. Although I try not to run in heels

Notes: If you have any other questions feel free to call me.

 

Jennifer

1. How often do you wear heels? On what occasions do you wear them? Special occasions– theatre, dinner, holidays– or when I don’t have to walk anywhere. 

2. What kinds of shoes do you like? I love all kinds. I love frye leather boots, new balance sneakers, and I have a couple of pairs of dress heels for special occasions. 

3. How do you feel about high heels? They look great, and they are fun to wear. I do love them, but they wear me out, and I never wear them during the day. 

4. How high are your heels? They range from super-almost-can’t-walk-in-them to just manageable. 

5. How often do you buy shoes? High heels? Twice a year, but then I only shop four times a year too!

6. What criteria do you use to buy shoes? Comfort first, unless I’m buying a high heel. 

7. How many pairs of high heels do you have? Three. 

8. Would you say you develop an emotional attachment to your shoes? No. 

9. How often do you walk? For what reasons do you choose to walk/not to walk? I walk every day for at least half an hour. I like to incorporate it into my day.

Spring-loaded action added to women’s high heeled shoes makes for a high-powered pedestrian vehicle that lifts you higher and gets you where you’re going faster. Inspired by the urban walking woman, her notorious investment in her footwear, and especially her desire to live more sustainably.

 

HOW IT WORKS

A carbon fiber leaf spring in a c-coil shape is bolted to the truncated heel of a shoe. The kit includes a pair of springs, attachment component, and instructions. The kit model allows for spring rate tailoring based on the wearer’s height, weight, and lifestyle. The wearer brings the kit and her favorite pair of heels to her neighborhood cobbler who affixes the springs, hotrodding her shoes. 

WHY WE LIKE IT (aka The Goods)

The Upshoes spring kit acknowledges that the term ‘transport’ is interpreted more widely than in industrialized nations. Walking, cycling, animal-driven vehicles and even wheelbarrows are transport too, and must be considered in transport planning. Upshoes provide an alternative transport technology that decreases the consumption of fossil fuels in urban areas where walking is an efficient way to get around. 

Tailored to the individual, the kit meshes with today’s market dynamic which caters to individual consumer’s emotional desires. The kit model encourages shared ownership of specially designed consumer goods, transferring responsibility of consumption and its environmental impact onto the individual. The act of upgrading such an intimate artefact as women’s shoes encourages reuse and repair as a part of everyday practice. Integration of the cobbler tradition promotes alternative marketing organization, the capillarization of the market into the hands of each and every consumer, and the creation of collaborative consumption.   

Rather than resorting to nostalgic references to suggest environmentalist ideals, Upshoes are environmentalist fashion that is progressive and stylish, visually promoting a sense that environmentalism is about boldly marching forward and treading new territory.

Perhaps most importantly, Upshoes make getting around more fun! Upshoes remove the urban commuter from the automobile cage and transform her into a walking machine, reconnecting and reenchanting her with her surrounding environment.   

 

WHY CARBON FIBER?

Carbon fiber is not the first substance that comes to mind when thinking of renewable materials. Yet because of its outstanding properties combining hardness and elasticity with very light weight, carbon fiber is being increasingly employed in sustainable design products such as wind turbines and fuel efficient automobiles. It is unrealistic to equate sustainable design with the strict use of 100% renewable materials. Instead it is useful to exploit new technologies to re-imagine the way we live on a global scale.   

 

Potent Quotes:

Designers must change consumer preferences… choosing not to possess must be a value for the new century and new technology has to be seen as repairable technology. Good design embodies social principles.  -Adams

The real challenge is to find a way of dismantling the consumer society and replacing it with a society rich in satisfactions and pleasures which make shopping and material acquisitions pall by comparison. -Christensen

Consumption is the moment in the process where symbolic exchanges that determine and reproduce the social code occur, where there is an active appropriation of signs, not the simple destruction of an object. -Poster