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ALL WE ARE

Brand/Product Design/Industry

A revolutionary footwear brand. A design project that simplifies the production process starting from product structure. A solution that challenges traditional rules and seeks sustainable development.

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Background

Xi Liu founded ALL WE ARE. Aimed at utilizing a new detachable modular shoe structure to provide more convenient footwear for everyone, this is also a revolutionary experiment in a more energy-efficient and carbon-reducing production model. This is an industry reform driven by product innovation.

Observation

  • Industrial production of shoes uses a large amount of glue to assemble various components, which can increase production speed but is detrimental to workers' health and pollutes the environment. However, glue is not a necessary component, it is merely used to quickly combine different parts, and these issues can actually be addressed through the design of the product structure.

  • The shoe production process is very complex due to the numerous components that need to be produced separately, making coordination complicated. As a result, it is difficult to respond quickly to small orders, requiring long-term planning for production arrangements. This leads to a mismatch between the sales performance of the products and expectations, resulting in large amounts of inventory.

  • ​In China, cleaning shoes has become a very troublesome task because people do not have the habit of machine washing shoes, believing that the outsoles are not clean and should not be washed with intimate clothing. Even for those who can accept the habit of machine washing, shoes that are machine washed are prone to deformation or delamination.

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Objectives

Simplify the components of the shoes as much as possible and completely eliminate the use of glue, allowing for flexible assembly. This concept enables independent and rapid production of each component without affecting the overall production schedule.

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Process

  • Research

Firstly I studied the structure of the various components of the shoe, understanding the function of each part and the existing production processes. I summarized and analyzed that a shoe needs to meet two main criteria: first, there must be a sole as an isolating layer to protect the foot from the ground; second, the upper part of the shoe must at least cover the instep to secure the foot in place on the sole's isolating layer. Therefore, the new structure only needs to satisfy these two points.

​In order to protect my ideas, I intend to apply for a patent. I conducted a search for existing patents of separable shoes, and confirmed that the structural direction I plan to research is unoccupied.

  • Solutions

Regarding how to combine different components without using glue, I referenced the mortise and tenon structure of ancient Chinese woodworking. This structure utilizes the physical interlocking of components to tightly join two separate parts. I then applied this logic to the shoe's structure, simplifying the shoe into two parts: a shoe frame that protects the sole and a sock-like upper. I designed the mortise and tenon structures within these two parts. The uniqueness of this design is that the shoe frame is a single molded entity that includes the sole, upper, toe, and heel.

I designed these two parts to be packaged separately, with the aim of allowing consumers to assemble them independently upon delivery. This is made possible by the simple modular combination. This concept even enables users to freely mix and match different styles, enhancing the enjoyment of wearing the shoes and offering a unique shopping experience, as people can purchase the shoe frame and upper separately.

Installation instructions

Different versions

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Challenges

The factory needs time to adapt to unfamiliar processes, so designers must be well-versed in the production workflow and assist the factory by providing solution recommendations to smoothly advance product development. When innovation reaches the implementation stage, the selection of partners tests the resources of the supply chain.

Innovative products not only test the collaboration with the production side but also challenge the brand's marketing capabilities. Since the products are highly innovative, they enter a completely new and undeveloped market, requiring strong market innovation capabilities to create a new market that aligns with the innovative products.

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Results

The team of four successfully developed this product and began selling it through e-commerce platforms. I also applied a patent of this new structure successfully. It is now being gradually promoted, and there are plans to design products with styles more suitable for the general public in order to expand the target customer base.

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Furthermore, we have calculated that this product saves two-thirds of the production process, reduces energy consumption by 70%, and significantly decreases material waste due to the majority of its integrated structure.

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Reflection

  • Most of the time, we are empiricists, lacking a critical spirit. Technical consultants at the factory often tell you that you cannot operate this way because there is no precedent for such production. When you ask them about the principles behind the current technical methods, most will say, 'We were just trained this way, we don't know the reason.'

  • The product design is too avant-garde, resulting in a very narrow target market. Product testing must not only include functional testing but also extensive aesthetic testing, as the appearance is the first impression a product makes on the general consumer. This is the first and most important step that influences their purchasing decisions.

a kol showing the shoes on social platform

a kol showing how to use on social platform

My role

Founder, shoe design and creative director. Cooperate with a marketing team.

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