•Introduction
This project presents a new approach to trail running shoes:
an adjustable-grip outsole system that allows traction to be adjusted during a run, in response to changing terrain.
Context
Year
Type
Role
Degree Project, Lund University
2022 (18 weeks)
Individual Project
Industrial Designer
•Challenge
Runners adapt to the ground with every step. Their shoes do not.
Traction demand in trail running is never constant.
Trail running is defined by constant change: loose gravel, wet rock, steep climbs, sudden descents. Yet most shoes still rely on a fixed traction profile, forcing runners to compromise with every transition. As terrain shifts, runners continuously adjust their posture and pace. When traction can’t adapt, stability breaks and performance drops, especially during rapid uphill-to-downhill phases.
This raised a question: how might footwear adapt its grip dynamically to support runners across mixed terrain within one journey?
•Design
Adaptive traction, redefined performance.
The concept 717 introduces an adjustable-friction outsole system that allows traction to adapt dynamically across mixed trail terrain within a single run.
Structure-enabled friction control.
The friction-adjustment mechanism is integrated into the midsole, powered by a dial-driven tension system, enabling traction modulation to match different movement phases.
Dial-controlled traction adjustment.
Runners can tune grip through an intuitive rotational input, translating simple interaction into precise and stable friction control.
•Process
Key sketches highlighted three aspects of the design process: idea exploration, technology–user integration, and aesthetic refinement.
Physical prototyping enabled rapid iteration to validate mechanical functionality and material choices.
•Reflection
1. Exploring through physical prototyping.
This project highlighted the value of physical prototyping as a decision-making tool. Mechanical prototyping was used to test assumptions, reveal limitations, and translate conceptual ideas into grounded mechanisms - allowing physical constraints to actively shape design decisions.
2. Looking ahead: from concept to real-world performance.
(1) While the concept demonstrates structural and interaction feasibility, several critical questions remain for future development: the deeper exploration of material behaviour, durability, and load-bearing performance under use.
(2) In addition, real-world user testing would be essential to validate usability, reliability, and how the interaction performs under varying environmental conditions.
(3) Beyond this project, the underlying principle of adaptable friction points to broader opportunities for products that respond to changing contexts in everyday life, rather than fixed conditions.
