SwaZe is a smart, self-adjusting shoe designed to solve key issues found in traditional footwear—discomfort, poor fit, and the lack of performance tracking. Mainly directed towards athletes and adaptable for those with foot sensitivities and long working hours, the shoe uses sensors to detect foot pressure and movement, automatically adjusting its fit whilst offering real-time data about steps, distances, and foot strain via a mobile app. By offering a personalized fit and actionable insights, SwaZe helps users train smarter, stay comfortable, and reduce the risk of injury.
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SwaZe
Innovation Fest 2025
About SwaZe
UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Empowered and Driven:
Delivering Solutions for Global Issues
SwaZe aligns with Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, which promotes healthy lives and well-being for all. By encouraging active lifestyles and reducing injury risks, SwaZe supports physical health through adaptive fitting and real-time movement tracking, especially for athletes and individuals under high foot stress.
SwaZe aligns with Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, which fosters innovation and sustainable industries. By integrating smart sensors and adaptive technology into footwear, SwaZe revolutionizes the traditional shoe market, creating a smart, adaptable product that enhances performance and comfort. This innovation not only advances the footwear industry but also supports the development of smart, sustainable solutions for everyday wear.
THE STORY BEGAN
DESIGN STORY
Challenges
Many of us have experienced the discomfort of shoes that just do not fit right—whether it is tightness, pressure, or just feeling off. For athletes, people with foot pain, or shift workers who spend long hours on their feet, this discomfort can lead to injuries and fatigue. Traditional shoes do not adapt to the unique needs of our feet, which is where SwaZe comes in. SwaZe solves these issues by automatically adjusting its fit based on foot pressure and movement, ensuring a more comfortable experience, while also tracking your steps and movement. SwaZe is designed to give you the support you need, helping you stay comfortable, active, and injury-free all day long. While the SwaZe team is motivated and passionate, we face some key challenges in bringing this product to life. One of the main difficulties is integrating the hardware and software seamlessly. We also lack experience in footwear manufacturing, which makes it tough to ensure comfort and functionality. Additionally, we are working on finding smaller, functional, and affordable components to fit within the shoe and optimizing battery efficiency.
Solution
SwaZe offers a smart, tech-driven solution to foot discomfort and performance tracking by merging adaptive footwear with real-time data monitoring. Using pressure and motion sensors, the shoe automatically adjusts its tightness to match each user’s movement and foot shape. This helps improve comfort, reduce the risk of injury, and support better performance. With data synced to a mobile app, users receive meaningful insights into their activity. SwaZe combines innovation, comfort, and personalization, making everyday footwear smarter, ergonomic, and more responsive. Despite challenges in hardware-software integration and footwear manufacturing, our dedicated team is focused on overcoming these obstacles. With access to mentors, we are committed to refining the product and bringing it to life, ensuring it meets users' needs for comfort, performance, and support.
Use Case
Whether you're training, pushing through an intense workout, on your feet all day at work, or just dealing with sore, tired feet, SwaZe adapts in real time. It tightens or loosens based on how you're moving, giving you comfort without the hassle. It tracks your steps, monitors pressure and keeps you in the loop with real-time updates through your phone. You don’t have to think about it, just lace up, and let SwaZe take care of the rest. It is built to fit into your life and make every step feel a little bit smarter.
THE PROCESS
PROTOTYPE DESIGN
The SwaZe prototype is a working model of our self-adjusting shoe, built to test the core features before moving on to the final design. It includes Force Sensitive Resistor (FSR) sensors that detect pressure, triggering LEDs to show when the shoe is tightening or loosening. For now, we are using a breadboard to test the hardware and software, with plans to integrate a mobile app later. The prototype also has an MPU6050 motion sensor to track movement, allowing the shoe to adjust automatically as you move. This version is all about testing and refining the tech, ensuring it works smoothly before we integrate everything into the shoe itself.
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PLEDGE
Impact on the market
SwaZe is positioned to make a strong impact on the smart footwear market by addressing key gaps in comfort, performance tracking, and injury prevention. As wearable technology continues to rise in popularity, SwaZe integrates these advancements into everyday footwear, providing a smarter solution for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Its real-time foot pressure adjustments and tracking capabilities offer a significant upgrade from traditional shoes, ensuring a more personalized and data-driven approach to fitness. Here's how SwaZe makes an impact:
• Redefines Smart Footwear: SwaZe is self-adjusting fit and performance tracking offer a unique, customized experience not available in most smart shoes.
• Improves Comfort & Performance: Real-time data and automatic adjustments keep users comfortable, reducing strain and helping optimize their training.
• Prevents Injuries: By adapting to each person’s needs, SwaZe helps prevent common injuries caused by poorly fitting shoes.
• Taps Into a Growing Market: As wearables grow in popularity, SwaZe is well-positioned as a competitive product to meet the rising demand for smarter fitness tech.
• Stands Out from Competitors: Unlike major brands that focus only on tracking, SwaZe offers a full solution with adaptive fit and injury prevention, making it a more complete choice.
RESULTS
FINAL PRODUCT
The process to reach the final product of SwaZe involved several key stages, beginning with conceptualization, followed by prototyping, integration, and testing. We started by identifying the key issues in traditional footwear—discomfort, injury risks, and lack of performance tracking. The goal was to create a smart shoe that automatically adjusts its fit based on foot pressure and movement while providing real-time insights into user activity.
For hardware, we used the ESP32-S3 microcontroller for its Bluetooth capabilities, processing power, and ability to manage multiple sensors efficiently, enabling seamless communication between the shoe’s sensors and the mobile app. We integrated Force Sensitive Resistors (FSR) and motion sensors like the MPU6050 to track foot pressure and movement in real-time. The microcontroller processes this data and adjusts the shoes’ fit accordingly. Additionally, we developed a mobile app using Flutter for a seamless user experience, providing data insights and feedback to improve performance.
With the attached 3D model, you can visualize how the design of the shoe will look in its final form. The aim is to create a sleek, user-friendly, and ergonomic design that integrates all the hardware components without cluttering the shoe or affecting its comfort.
