Setting Foot In New Problems – Amelia Fisher

After a recent meeting with our team, Backwards in High Heels, and our teacher/mentor Ms. Miesner, we came to the sudden realization that our product design so far (a high heeled shoe insole as seen below) was no different from many of the other insoles currently out on the market.

We’d originally tried to make a shoe design that would work more specifically towards the needs of a woman wearing heels, but as we’ve progressed deeper into our designing process we’ve found that although our insoles are unique in the layout of our materials, they are not much different from other insoles already out on the market (such as Dr. Scholl’s high heel insoles For Her found here).

One thing I did notice about our team’s design compared to this similar one, was that we intended to provide a more sturdy arch support, and we wanted to use a material for both the ball and the heel of the foot, that would create enough friction and cushion to both alleviate short term pain as well as blisters. We also had originally wanted to create an insole that would be flexible to different heel heights. I think this would also be related to the arch support of the insole due to the different ways a foot can be angled when wearing different heights of heels.

I’m a little concerned what our team will do if we do not manage to create a new design by the time of our presentation. I think we need to sit down the next full class day we have together as a team and work to create a design that is similar to the one that we already have but that will also have new features that will distinguish it from other products already on the market. I have faith in our group being successful just next time we might try to do a little bit better research on prior art. I think this problem arose because our original product research was for an entire shoe and not just an insole.

No matter what the outcome is though, I have faith that with all the creative brain power Backwards in High Heels has, that we will be able to find a new creative solution to foot pain when wearing high heels. The solution just may not be obvious right at this moment. But even though we may seem to be falling into disaster, you can count on the fact that we’ll still be wearing cute shoes.