VitaBoot: Footwear with Dynamic Graphical Patterning

VitaBoot is a footwear concept incorporating dynamic graphical patterns which indicate the wearer’s activity level. Whilstshoes are an important element in fashion wear and a lotof research has focused on shoes as input devices, comparable few concepts have explored the potential for their useas an output space. We created a boot design that incorporates dynamic patterning through the use of electrochromic(EC) displays embedded in the surface material. The bootwas designed and constructed from scratch, using a fauxleather material, ensuring the overall aesthetic of the design,including the integration of the required control electronicsand power source. The boot connects wirelessly to a chest-worn heart rate belt, and pattern changes indicate when thewearer’s heart rate is above a predefined threshold. VitaBootdemonstrates the potential for dynamic shoe patterning foraesthetic or functional means, and the suitability of flexible,low-power EC display technology in this domain.