1. That was part of the challenge when designers set out to turn Jerry Gumbert's concept of footwear into reality. In addition to creating a superior product, the designers 較好的 had to unlearn everything they knew about shoe construction . 忘掉 構造

2. Gumbert, president of Flexible Footwear Technologies Ltd., had a vision of footwear that works with the human body. 遠見 He researched foot anatomy and shoes for years before 分析 concluding that he could develop something better and asked 決定；斷定 Design Central for help.

3. The goal: to reinvent what we think of as shoes. Designers 重複發明；獨立創造 began by ignoring traditional shoemaking methods,nearly 不理會 unchanged since the Industrial Revolution. Instead, they delved into Gumbert's research notes. 鑽研

4. The designers did not realize, at first, that they were about to revolutionize footwear. 徹底改革 They quickly discovered that shoes don't need their usual components to protect feet, absorb shock, and accommodate 成分 the elements . In fact, they found that these components 要素 could actually contribute to the foot ailments the shoewearing 病痛 population complains about. 容納

5. With the learning and unlearning process complete, the designers jumped into the conceptualization phase, 概念化 hand-sketching various takes on flexible footwear and rejecting 抵制 more than five hundred versions . 版本 They worked closely with vendors to create components and find flexible materials capable of absorbing shock and guarding 防範 against the elements.

6. Next, they built three- dimensional models using a variety of 尺寸的 materials over a last, the form on which shoes are built. 形狀

7. Next, Design Central went to its vendors to create the tooling which involved a learning curve . The initial rollout went to small retailers , then podiatrists , chiropractors , and apothecaries . "We took the product to market in a small way, and we're having it grow from there, " says Friar. tooling 壓模型 Learning curve 學習曲線 rollout 首次展示 Retailer 零售商 ( 店 ) Podiatrist 足科醫生 Chiropractor 脊椎按摩師 Apothecary 藥劑師 / 藥材商

8. Market reaction has been positive , especially among consumers seeking comfortable footwear that is body-conscious and earth-friendly. Friar credits the successful design to Gumbert's philosophy of holistic integration . "Everything is connected to everything," says Friar. "Change one material here, and it affects something else." positive 正面積極的 negative 負面消極的 credit ~ to 歸因於 ~ philosophy 哲學 holistic 全部的 integration 整合 / 集成 material 材料

9. As for the firm's partnership with Gumbert, Friar adds, "We've become a conduit for the concepts of a visionary . Jerry is singularly devoted to this product and this concept. He's not looking for a payoff but to make a difference to humankind, which is phenomenal . He has an expanding energy bubble around this concept. We use our professionalism without mandating or imposing style or fashion. If we were to do that, we'd ruin the product. conduit 導線 visionary 富想像力的 singularly 異常的 payoff 決定性的 / 高潮的時刻 / 發薪 phenomenal 現象的 bubble 氣泡的 / 靠不住的計畫 mandate 命令 imposing 給人印象深刻的

10. Designers constructed the shoe based on the foot's four arches , each of which needs to' be accommodated . However, they rejected the rigid arch support found in traditional shoes. Instead, they built a shoe with four nonrigid arch supports that allow for unlimited flexibility. arch 架構 / 結構 accommodate 調和 rigid 堅硬的 / 陽剛的 non rigid 非陽剛性的

11. The heel is not raised; it is designed in a neutral position, as if standing barefoot . The idea is for the design to promote a natural gait -what designers call a barefoot gait. neutral 中立的 barefoot 赤腳 gait 步伐 / 腳步

12. The shoes' treads pattern features larger treads at the back of the foot and smaller patterns at the front. This reflects the anatomy of a foot-bigger bones are located in the heel, where there is less motion than at the front, where bones are smaller and more numerous. treads 步行 anatomy 骨隨 motion 動作 / 走 擺動