From Documentary to Classroom

The 2015 documentary film “Sneakerheadz” provided us with a glimpse into the fascinating world of sneaker culture and the extremely passionate individuals who study, collect, trade and wear (or not!) these shoes as a hobby.

This documentary helped inspire an innovative and exciting Unbounded Learning opportunity for Gr. 6 students this past year. Created by teachers Roma Jagore Singh and Madeline Trimble, the Sneakerheadz project was designed to use shoe fashion as a platform for an open exploration that encouraged students to pursue their passions — and ultimately design their own sneaker.

As with all Unbounded Learning modules, Sneakerheadz followed the design cycle. This process identifies four distinct phases of product development: identify and define the need, research and ideate solutions, create a prototype for evaluation and finally, test, evaluate and refine.

Exploring Footwear Fashion

The project started with introducing students to the exciting world of footwear fashion and looked at several well-known historical examples, such as the circumstances that led to the creation of Air Jordans.

Students then explored their relationships with shoes, personal fashion choices and identified and reflected on recent trends they had observed. Next, they learned about the different sources of inspiration that guide designers and engaged in the process of researching and considering where they might draw their own, personal inspiration.

This process included a field trip to Park Royal to critically look at sneakers and other fashion items at several retailers, including SNEAKERBOX.

Designing and Prototyping

Students then blueprinted out their design ideas, complete with detailed explanations of where they drew their inspiration and rationales for their various choices, along with a material list that would be required to produce a prototype.

As students began to build out their prototypes, they documented the various steps and reflected on aspects they thought were working well, along with the different challenges they experienced.

“Students were given shoes that actually fit them,” said teacher Madeline Trimble. “We were blown away by their ownership of the project and the care and attention to detail that went into the product.”

Culminating in a Fashion Show

The Sneakerheadz project culminated in a fashion show and presentation that allowed students to share their sneaker prototypes and articulate their inspiration and design ideas.

“It was so amazing the light bulbs go on for these 11 and 12-year-old kids. This project is such a great example of how good things happen when you give students voice, choice and ownership about what they’re learning — and how they share what they’ve learned.”

- Teacher Roma Jagore Singh