emorph ecofriendly shoe design
Exploring opportunities to make shoes last longer for children as they grow
In this project, our goal was to rethink children’s footwear by designing a modular, size‑adjustable shoe that grows with the user, reduces the number of pairs needed during key growth years, and embeds circular‑economy principles in materials, assembly, and end‑of‑life scenarios.
Objective
blender
sketch
Tools
3 weeks
2025
Design duration
Team project(3 member)
Research
visualize
My role
Innovative Footwear
Design Competition
Silver
The issues
High consumer waste and overproduction in kids’ footwear
01
Children often want new shoes with different looks, which further fuels overconsumption
Shoes are expensive to replace every time a child grows
02
03
The shoe hides a stack of three removable inner soles: as the child grows, one sole is lifted out and clipped on top of the outer sole, quietly increasing the size while the exterior still looks box‑fresh. Each sole reveals a new cartoon graphic, turning every growth step into a small surprise and helping kids stay emotionally attached to a single pair for much longer, extending the feeling of enthusiasm and reducing the urge for constant new purchases.
Three models cover ages 4–12
Model : 4–6, sizes 26–29.
Model : 6–9, sizes 30–33.
Model : 9–12, sizes 34–37, each tuned to the aesthetics of its age group.
Solution
Next steps
Build a first physical model of the shoe to validate the stacked‑sole mechanism, check proportions, understand assembly and wear points before moving to larger user tests
Test the sizing system with real families to assess comfort, durability, and how long each model actually lasts in everyday use
Refine materials and bonding methods to further improve recyclability and explore take‑back or refurbishment programs for worn pairs