This essay gained a Grade 1 from the SQA. It demonstrates a lot of personal initiative in collecting source material an giving considered personal opinions. The greyed out areas are images that David collected but cannot be displayed for copyright reasons.
Sportswear Design

David Bathgate

My essay is on sportswear design.  The main subjects of my essay are Mizuno genesis running shoe and Lacoste tennis shoe.  My essay will also include Mizuno sportswear and clothing for specific sports.  The ergonomics of a design are very important.  This is how the design fit’s the human body and this is extremely important on shoe design because if the manufacturer doesn’t study the shoe and the sport it’s being used for, then the shoe will be uncomfortable.  The Mizuno genesis running shoe has two shock absorbers on the inside and outside of the shoe to protect the runners’ foot from the dangers of running and also makes the shoe more stable.  Around the heel of the shoe is a cushioning foam that expands when the runner puts their foot into the shoe.  The foam also moulds into the runners’ heel for complete comfort.  The Mizuno genesis also has foam lining on the tongue of the shoe to protect the top of the runners’ foot from injury.

These shoes above are a pair of Mizuno genesis running shoes

The functional elements, such as the shock absorbers are made to make the trainers stand out and look attractive.  The colours help create an exciting visual look.  The new technologies, such as shock absorbers and support techniques help the manufacturers improve on their designs and will have a larger market.

The Lacoste tennis shoe has an out sole made of MBS 600 rubber, this out sole has longer life expectancy.  Each of the shoes has one shock absorber on the inside of the shoe.  The idea of having one shock absorber on the inside of the shoe is for reaction and support.  These will have been designed for the exact needs of a tennis player when playing.  The Lacoste tennis shoe also have a high and well padded heel for better ankle support and heel comfort.  All shoes will be aimed at a targeted audience by the design, sizes available and the price.  I think the Mizuno genesis and Lacoste tennis shoe are aimed at an older audience, for the more experienced and serious sportsman.

This is a picture of Mizuno genesis running shoes.  This picture has been designed to show you the position of the shock absorbers.  On this picture the shock absorbers are red just like the finished trainer.

The sports clothes I looked at were all Mizuno.  The clothes I looked at were polo shirts generally designed for tennis, shorts and track suits etc.,  The polo shirts are made of thin cotton and some have sweat holes depending on the sport they’re designed for.  The functional elements of the polo shirts were the sweat holes to keep the player cool by letting in air.

The polo shirts are also made of thin material for comfort against the skin. This is a picture of the Mizuno polo shirt that I looked at.

One of the most important aspects of design is the research involved.  The research of a design is crucial because it finds out what people expect from the design and what sport they plan to use it for.  The visual element of a design are important because this is what sells the design, if the design is unattractive it will not sell well.

I think the designer researched well into what people wear because in the brochure there is a wide variety of clothes.  Shop logos are important because they let the customers know what kind of shop it is.

This is Sports Division’s logo.  It stands out well because of the bright colours on it.  Shop layouts are important because they advertise the brands they are selling.  Shop windows have mannequins to model the clothes, which will attract customers into the shop.  Some brands are put on stands to separate them from rival companies e.g. Nike and Reebok.

The logo of a company is very important because it lets customers recognise what brand they are buying.  The logo gives the company a clear visual identity.  This is the Mizuno logo, which is put up against brands like Nike’s tick, Reeboks hexalite and the three stripes from Adidas.

On most childrens' trainers and clothes the designs are simplified because they are too complicated to manufacture.  In the Mizuno brochure I looked at Mizuno tracksuits, they are thicker material to keep the runner warmer.  The tracksuits are more attractive because of their bright colours and were quite simple designs aimed at older people because of their sizes.  In today’s manufacture technique’s laboratory tests can check shock absorption works well.  If red areas show up on the scanner this shows weak cushioning and gives the designers a chance to improve on their design.  When designers think of a design they may complicate it by adding extra logos or colours or they may simplify it to a more plain design.  On evaluating the shoes I looked at both shoes were well designed because they were original.  Both shoes are worth while designs because they are comfortable and meet the expectations of a sportsman’s needs.  Because both shoes are for different sports their shock absorbers are placed in different areas.  I think the designs are both worth while products.

I play roller hockey, roller hockey is a contact sport so you need protection.  The main protective things are harness to protect your shoulders and rib cage, padded shorts – to protect your thighs and hips, leg guards to protect your shins, elbow pads to protect your elbows, helmet and visor to protect your head and face and gloves to protect your hands.  On hockey kits the designers must take into account the heat that is produced when the kit is on.  The designers must find materials that will not irritate the player.  All the equipment must be up to a high standard that it will protect the player well and the kit must be approved.  The designer will put sweat holes on the kit to let heat out and keep the players cool.  The most important part of a hockey kit is the helmet and visor.  The helmet must be well padded in the inside to prevent a player’s head from injury.  Lately big companies like Nike and Adidas have entered the hockey market with a wide range of skates, sticks and some padded equipment.

Existing companies of the hockey market are Bauer, Cooper, Micron, Easton and Louisville.  As I play roller hockey I know about the brands and how protective a piece of equipment should be.  Below is a picture of Nikes logo.  When designers are designing hockey kits they must make it have a long life expectancy so it can be able to take checks (body contact) and can be able to stay in good condition.  On the hockey kit I own I looked at my harness (shoulder pads) to see what they were made of.  On my harness the shoulder pads have plastic interiors covered with a material that has sweat holes to let cool air in.  A very important aspect designers must take into account is the comfort the product will have against the skin.  If the product creates an irritation on the skin it will aggravate the player and could cause the player to not play to their full potential.  Also, when a hockey kit gets worn it gets hot and sweaty and on protective equipment like leg pads, shorts and elbow pads its advisable for them to have padded parts that can be removed separately so they can be washed in a machine as they absorb a lot of sweat and can cause irritation.

These are a pair of Mission Skates.  Mission is a large company in the hockey market.  The design of skates is very important.  The main factors a designer must take into account are the comfort, the skates must be made of a material that will absorb sweat and stop the player from being irritated.  The designer must also find a material that can mould into the players feet, giving more

stability and comfort.  Most hockey skates are made of material as opposed to aggressive skates, which are made of plastic.  Designers must consider what sort of wheels to use for different types of skating.  Because hockey is usually played indoors when leagues are held hockey skate wheels must have a good grip to stop from sliding on flat surfaces.  On these two pairs of Mission Skates both have Kuzak Glues wheels because these wheels are designed to stick to flat surfaces as well as giving the player more grip.  The bearings are very important, these are what keep the wheels spinning, for different types of skating there are different types of bearings.  Most hockey skates have ABEC 3 as opposed to speed skates, which have ABEC 7.  The chassis is what holds the wheels on some good hockey skates you will get aluminium chassis which are lighter this is a big plus because of all the weight of the kit already Hockey strip design is very important.  The team I play for got its strips made by Topspeed, a large hockey company, designers must consider the heat of the kit and make sure the material of the strip is not irritating to the skin as underneath you only wear a harness which only covers your rib cage and part of your arms.  This is Missions logo, this is  how the customers  recognise the brand.

These are hockey trousers, they are padded and are used instead of hockey shorts.  The functional parts like the netting on the back of them is made visually evident by having their logo or bright colours on them.  Underneath these hockey trousers you would wear a girdle.  These trousers are made big and loose so the players can have a lot of movement.  The material is strong so when a player is checked the trousers won’t rip. These are a pair of Mission shin guards.  They protect the shins from injury.  The guard is made of plastic.  Designers would have to make sure the plastic was strong enough to take a check without cracking.  Around the edges of the plastic and in the inside of the leg guard is a foam cushioning that absorbs the sweat, but on these leg guards the foam can not be taken out to be washed.  The leg guards have velcro straps to keep them tightly attached to the players legs, unlike many other leg guards that you have to use sellotape to keep them attached on.

Below is a pair of Mission built rite hockey gloves.  These hockey gloves are made of leather so they are stronger and will not rip as easily.  Although the gloves are not that colourful and have a rather plain design they are extremely comfortable and allow a lot of hand movement.  On the palm of the gloves are sweat holes to let in cool air.  Like all hockey gloves they have another thumb attachment so you can either keep you thumb in one position or move it around, if you have it in the small thumb attachment there is not a lot of protection.

Bilt Rite is Missions product name, it produces trousers, helmets, leg pads, girdles and gloves.

This picture shows a girdle.  These are supposed to be worn under hockey shorts.  They act as shorts under the trousers.  The material is absorbing and is also well padded.  There doesn’t need to be any design or it doesn’t have to look good because it isn’t seen.

After a designer has designed a players kit they will have to design a goal tenders kit.  A goal tenders kit is usually expensive and could cost from £400.00 to over £4000.00.  A goal tenders kit consists of leg pads, helmet, body armour (large harness), catch (glove used to catch ball) and a blocker (which is used to block).  Below is a picture of hockey wheels called Krytonic mister sticky.  They are used as indoor hockey wheels and grip the floors well.  They are an average diameter of 72mm.  The designers must make sure the wheels won’t wear down easily, but because they’re indoor wheels, they won’t wear down as easily as if they were used outside.  The reason the hockey wheels need a lot of grip is because of the sharp turns and sudden stops used in hockey.

These are goal tenders wheels.  They Require a lot of grip because goal tenders need to move around fast and dive for the ball.  These wheels are out door hockey wheels so the designer will have to pick a suitable rubber that can grip the gravel well and not wear down too easily.  The wheels are quite small because they do not wear down easily. These wheels are also players wheels called the bullzeye blueline indoor.  These are 72mm wheels and are an average size.  These cost £46 for eight wheels.  Like the Mr Sticky Wheels these are also indoor and therefore require a lot of grip because of the flat smooth surface.

Goal tenders kit must be very protective and well padded so the ball doesn’t injure the goal tender, as powerful shots will be taken into the net.

These are goal tenders leg pads.  They can be used for roller hockey but are replicas of ice hockey leg pads.  They are made of leather and because of this they are very strong.  They are also about three inches thick making them well padded.  On the back of the leg pads there is a flap that covers the back of the leg in case of injury.  There are four straps that go over the flap to keep the leg pads tightly attached and keep the flap attached tightly as well.  The bottom of the leg pad has a strap that is put around the toe of the skate to keep the leg pads tight at the bottom as well.  On the back of the leg pads there should be some absorption pads to absorb the sweat. This is a goal tenders catch or glove.  It is used for catching the ball.  The catch must be heavily padded to protect the goal tenders hand.  The netted area of the catch is where, when caught, the ball will roll in and the goal tender will close the catch.  The catch is made of leather like the leg pads to stop it from ripping easily as leather is strong.  The catch must be comfortable for the player’s hand.  Below the glove part is a long leather part to protect part of your wrist.

On the following page is a plan of Olympus Sports.  Sport shops are laid out in special ways to attract the customer.  Leading brands like Nike, Adidas and Reebok are separated so the customer has a wide variety.  The shops will also be laid out in a way so the sport has its equipment beside it e.g. footballs and football boots.  In most of the sport shops I visited, the adult clothes would be placed on higher shelves so the teenagers and small childrens’ clothes could be lower down for them to see and more accessible for them to try them on.  In most sport shops the childrens’ trainers will be separate from the teenagers and adults.

An important aspect with sport shops or any other kind of shops is the window display.  The window display is what attracts customers into the shops.  On all sport shops they will have mannequins modelling the clothes, trainers etc.,  Shop windows can be made to look fancy by having neon coloured lights to make the shop look attractive and also large signs that have specific brand logos are used.