ballet pointe sock
ballet pointe sock
ballet pointe sock
Industrial Design · Research & Strategy · Physical Prototyping
California College of the Arts – Industrial Design Program, 2019
USC Iovine & Young Academy – Product Design, Materials Science Courses, 2021
Advised by: Grant Delgatty, Lisa Krohn, Adam Hughes
Redesigned the outdated ballet pointe shoe to prioritize material lifespan, dancer health, and affordability.
01 PAIN POINTS
Uncomfortable and painful.
Lack of customization forces dancers to break in shoes before wearing them.
High risk of injury from worn-out or ill-fitting shoes.
Short lifespan: 2 days on average for professionals.
Expensive at $80/pair on average. (NYC Ballet uses 8,500 pairs a season, $680,000 in spend)
02 SOLUTION
The Pointe Sock is a fitted sock with internal pockets for replaceable components. Each component is custom 3D printed from a scan of the dancer's foot, in flexible material. The one-piece sock is breathable, sweat-absorbent, and tear-resistant. Varying elasticity through the sock supports technique and reduces injury risk. Embedded biometric sensors give dancers visibility into their own health — data that doesn't exist today, in a culture that treats ignoring the body's limits as normal. The Pointe Sock is made in diverse skin tone colors to achieve the original purpose of the pointe shoe in a modern world: to elongate a dancer's leg seamlessly.
Industrial Design · Research & Strategy · Physical Prototyping
California College of the Arts – Industrial Design Program, 2019
USC Iovine & Young Academy – Product Design, Materials Science Courses, 2021
Advised by: Grant Delgatty, Lisa Krohn, Adam Hughes
Redesigned the outdated ballet pointe shoe to prioritize material lifespan, dancer health, and affordability.
01 PAIN POINTS
Uncomfortable and painful.
Lack of customization forces dancers to break in shoes before wearing them.
High risk of injury from worn-out or ill-fitting shoes.
Short lifespan: 2 days on average for professionals.
Expensive at $80/pair on average. (NYC Ballet uses 8,500 pairs a season, $680,000 in spend)
02 SOLUTION
The Pointe Sock is a fitted sock with internal pockets for replaceable components. Each component is custom 3D printed from a scan of the dancer's foot, in flexible material. The one-piece sock is breathable, sweat-absorbent, and tear-resistant. Varying elasticity through the sock supports technique and reduces injury risk. Embedded biometric sensors give dancers visibility into their own health — data that doesn't exist today, in a culture that treats ignoring the body's limits as normal. The Pointe Sock is made in diverse skin tone colors to achieve the original purpose of the pointe shoe in a modern world: to elongate a dancer's leg seamlessly.
hand-sculpted clay prototype @ 1:4 scale
hand-sculpted clay prototype @ 1:4 scale
hand-sculpted clay prototype @ 1:4 scale
Orthographic hand sketches
Orthographic hand sketches
Orthographic hand sketches
hand-carved pu foam prototype @ 1:1 scale
hand-carved pu foam prototype @ 1:1 scale
hand-carved pu foam prototype @ 1:1 scale
iterated sketch
iterated sketch
iterated sketch
old pointe shoe stripped to core components
old pointe shoe stripped to core components
old pointe shoe stripped to core components
toe box prototype (3d printed pla) for improved product lifespan + subjective fit
toe box prototype (3d printed pla) for improved product lifespan + subjective fit
toe box prototype (3d printed pla) for improved product lifespan + subjective fit
prototype made of spandex & nylon mix with 3d printed toe box
prototype made of spandex & nylon mix with 3d printed toe box
prototype made of spandex & nylon mix with 3d printed toe box
internal anatomy – multiple strengths, placements, and directions of resistance improve technique, injury prevention, and comfort
internal anatomy – multiple strengths, placements, and directions of resistance improve technique, injury prevention, and comfort
