What is it?
The Raynauds shoe is an in-progress capstone project that utilizes insulation technology and novel shoe fastening methods to improve circulation and reduce the negative symptoms of Raynauds disease. Raynauds diesease is a circulatory disease causing patients to experience pain, numbness, and loss of feelings in their extremities as a result of triggers like cold weather. The shoe is designed to be a commuter shoe for young women, a typical raynauds patient, that fits in with their model style and allows them to comfortably walk to work in cold locations.
How does it innovate?
The shoe is one of a few, specifically designed for Raynauds patients. Most solutions are either powered socks or large clunky boots. The Raynauds shoe fits into a modern wardrobe by using discreet technology to empower young women in cold environments. The fastening technology is specifically designed around the veins in the foot to provide a secure hold on the foot without apply pressure to the circulation system.
What is the impact?
Patients across a wide range of profiles experience Raynauds for a wide range of reasons, despite these differences the current solution for all is, generally, to live in a warmer climate. This shoe allows people living in any cold climate to travel outside from place to place in the dead of winter without their feet going numb. With more development, I hope the shoe could eventually be a resource for unhoused individuals that may need support specifically in the realm of footwear.
