Abstract:
Military stands to date as one of the most important organization of any country.
These brave defenders are selected after tough, rigorous tests and are equipped
with top notch gear for maximum efficiency with minimum risk of failure. This
opens an opportunity to develop products that provide safety and maximize the
user's potential. Project Zeerpah took form after coming across a research paper
published in 2015 which showed how long-term use of the existing military
footwear caused musculoskeletal injuries in the soldiers. Furthermore, product
time line research indicated that one of the most commonly used combat boot used
in Pakistan is a design developed in the 1940's. Understanding the need for a
footwear design that worked best for the military use of Pakistan, ideation was
done to create a product that provided ultimate comfort while being safe for the
job use. Surveys and interviews were conducted of military personnel belonging
to different ranks and statuses to understand end user and their needs. Market
research was conducted by visiting shoe factories to get the perspective of clients
and producers, side by side materials were studies to see which materials worked
best for the project's needs and why. Most importantly the shoe designing domain
was ventured into to understand cuts and components of different shoes to design
for specific elements accordingly.
With all aspects in mind and the intentions of the project clear Zeerpah was
developed as an ongoing footwear product line with a modular base model (CORE)
that aspires to be an injury proof comfort providing footwear design that can be
used by all and any member of the Pakistan Army. For the scope of this project
the focus was on the development of the CORE model and identifying the factors
that could present future design possibilities to build on.
