Eric Paskach ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Dino Stride Adaptive Sneakers ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱨᱭᱟᱹ

Eric Paskach ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Dino Stride Adaptive Sneakers ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱨᱭᱟᱹ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱡᱤᱠ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ 2025 A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱞᱚᱦᱟᱥᱟᱢᱟᱡᱤᱠ· 2025

Dino Stride Adaptive Sneakers ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱨᱭᱟᱹ

Eric Paskach ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ

ᱜᱟᱦᱟᱠ: Iowa State University of Science and Technology

ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱡᱤᱠ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

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ᱡᱟᱸᱪ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

#167137 ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱦᱟᱞᱚᱛ ᱡᱟᱸᱪ

ᱥᱟᱭᱤᱴ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ A' Design Award ᱨᱮ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱨᱤᱞᱤᱡ ᱯᱩᱨᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱮᱡ

ᱨᱚᱝ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

Dino Stride Adaptive Sneakers ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱨᱭᱟᱹ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

ᱰᱟᱭᱤᱱᱚ ᱥᱴᱨᱟᱭᱰ ᱢᱮᱱᱛᱮ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱯᱩᱛᱟᱹᱛᱮ ᱞᱟᱹᱠᱛᱤ ᱡᱩᱛᱟ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱠᱚᱲᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱰᱤ᱔ᱚᱭᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱚᱠᱚᱭ ᱠᱚ ᱟᱸᱠᱲᱟᱹ-ᱠᱟᱛᱟ ᱚᱨᱛᱷᱚᱥᱤᱥ (ankle-foot orthoses) ᱮᱢ ᱮᱛᱦᱚᱵᱚᱨ ᱮ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱡᱩᱛᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱢᱮᱥ ᱱᱤᱴ ᱠᱷᱟᱛᱤᱨ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱱ ᱦᱟᱣᱟ ᱪᱟᱞᱟᱣ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱠᱟᱛᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱚᱨᱛᱷᱚᱥᱤᱥ ᱯᱩᱛᱟᱹᱛᱮ ᱛᱟᱛᱮ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱡᱟᱹᱨᱩᱲ ᱠᱚ ᱠᱚᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱦᱩᱭᱮᱫ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱢᱚᱴᱟ ᱥᱚᱞ ᱫᱚ ᱚᱨᱛᱷᱚᱥᱤᱥ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱚᱠᱚᱨ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ ᱡᱩᱛᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱦᱟᱹᱴᱤᱧ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱱᱟᱜ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱᱟ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱮᱭ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸ ᱮᱢ ᱮᱭᱟ ᱾ ᱮᱢ ᱮᱛᱦᱚᱵᱚᱨ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱡᱚᱠᱷᱟ ᱜᱮ ᱪᱮᱱ ᱡᱤᱯ ᱠᱚ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱛᱮ ᱡᱩᱛᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱮᱛᱦᱚᱵᱚᱨ ᱠᱷᱩᱞᱟᱹᱠ ᱛᱮ ᱤᱫᱤ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ, ᱾ ᱚᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱡᱩᱛᱟ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱟᱨ ᱮᱛᱦᱚᱵᱚᱨ ᱫᱚ ᱴᱷᱤᱠ ᱟᱨ ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜᱼᱟ ᱾ ᱰᱟᱭᱤᱱᱚᱥᱚᱨ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱰᱤᱴᱮᱞ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱮᱢᱚᱯᱷᱞᱟᱡ ᱯᱮᱴᱚᱨᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱢᱮᱱᱛᱮ ᱦᱩᱰᱤᱧ ᱨᱮ ᱮᱦᱚᱵᱟᱨᱟᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱠᱷᱮᱞᱟ ᱠᱷᱮᱞᱟ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱦᱚᱭᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱨᱤᱦᱟᱵᱤᱞᱤᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ ᱚᱠᱛᱚ ᱨᱮ ᱟᱹᱨᱟᱢ, ᱯᱷᱤᱴ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱚᱨᱚᱥᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢᱚᱜᱼᱟ ᱾

ᱢᱟᱱᱟᱱ

A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Dino Stride Adaptive Sneakers ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱨᱭᱟᱹ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Dino Stride Adaptive Sneakers ᱡᱚᱛᱚ ᱠᱟᱨᱭᱟᱹ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱤᱪᱷᱟ ᱨᱮ

ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱠᱤᱴ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱨᱮᱰᱤᱴ, ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱫᱚᱥᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱤᱠᱮᱞ ᱵᱤᱵᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱜᱩᱱ ᱠᱚ: 1 in 345 children are born with cerebral palsy. That is a huge number of children that not only need lower-limb orthotics, but special shoes as well. In the orthotics-friendly footwear market, there is a massive disconnect in communication leading to a final product that completely neglects the user's needs.

Dino Stride solves these issues with an orthotics-friendly shoe that is functional, stylish, and fun, making orthotics more engaging for children, and aiding rehabilitation.
ᱢᱟᱯ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ: The physical model was designed for the average three to four-year-old boy using an ankle-foot orthosis to keep fit while wearing the orthotics a top priority.

The shoe itself is approximately 100mm x 200mm x 125mm
ᱴᱮᱜ ᱠᱚ: adaptive, shoes, orthotics, AFO, children, dinosaur, footwear, cerebral palsy, kids, friendly
ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱛᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ: Empathic design is an approach that brings critical insights into the design process. Throughout this project, I did not only gather data from interviews, surveys, and secondary research. Through firsthand experiences, I immersed myself in the world of those who rely on orthotic-friendly footwear. I understood their frustrations and felt their desire for something better. Every choice was driven by what I had learned, ensuring the final design truly serves the children who need it most.
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱪᱮᱞᱮᱧ: The biggest challenge of this project was reshaping the shoe form to comfortably accommodate an orthotic without sacrificing the look and feel of a typical kids' shoe. Every child deserves to feel confident and included, so it was crucial to design something that blends in seamlessly with their peers' footwear. Through several iterations, the final design emerged, one that works comfortably with orthotics while prioritizing style, comfort, and the joy of simply being a kid.
ᱜᱚᱵᱮᱥᱚᱱᱟ: For Dino Stride, I conducted surveys and interviews of caregivers of children with lower-limb orthotics, empathic role-play of the child and orthotist, and studied research relating to gait, orthotics, and footwear for orthotics. The objective was to identify which issues were most prevalent for children with lower-limb orthotics. Style, fit, and width were the most prevalent issues. The surveys and interviews conducted provided the most critical insight for design decisions.
ᱯᱨᱮᱨᱚᱱᱟ: Children with disabilities are often disregarded in the world of design. Most equipment designed for these children is simply downscaled versions of technology made for adults. This practice neglects the fact that these users are children and that their wants and needs are far different from those of adults. Therefore, children with disabilities need products designed specifically for them.

I was inspired to make a change in the orthotics-friendly footwear market which suffers from this exact problem.
ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱥᱚᱢᱚᱭ: This project started in January 2024 and finished in May 2024. It was exhibited in Ames Iowa at Iowa State University in May 2024
ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱨ: The upper is made of a breathable mesh knit to mitigate the heat generated from the foot against the orthotics. A deep sole provides space and support for the orthotics while maintaining the typical height of a kid's shoe. Side zippers allow the front of the shoe to fold open for fast and easy donning and doffing while wearing the orthotics. The dinosaur details and camo pattern add necessary character and fun to the shoe to help with acceptance of the orthotics and self-confidence.
ᱯᱮᱴᱮᱱᱴ ᱠᱚ: Copyrights belong to Eric Paskach, 2025
ᱪᱤᱛᱟᱹᱨ ᱥᱟᱹᱦᱟ: Image #5: Photographer Bjorn Iverson, 2024