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Kateem: The Innovative Trail Running Shoe

Florian Seidl's Kateem is a tough and lightweight trail running shoe that utilizes new technology and traditional know-how to provide runners with an exceptional performance. The shoe features a stretchy exoskeleton, robust, water-repellant, and breathable materials, a carbon toe cap, and defined flex zones. The custom 3D printed insole guarantees a perfect fit, while the thin midsole can be adjusted with different inlays, offering bold volumes, controlled surfacing, striking colors, and minimal graphics.

New manufacturing technologies and innovative materials, such as carbon fiber, woven 3D textile mesh panels, and custom 3D printed insoles, are crucial to the realization of this concept. The design also incorporates well-established footwear technology to create a product with exceptional performance.

The main aim of Kateem is to provide better protection and guidance for the foot of trail runners in rough and difficult terrain. The shoe features a semi-rigid outer shell, a lightweight carbon fiber toe cap, and a 3D printed insole tailored to each runner's foot. Traditional lacing and a sock-like inner ensure simplicity and a perfect fit.

Kateem is a private free time project developed and refined step by step on long evenings and during weekends. This lengthy process was finished in 2015 in Turin, Italy. The concept is based on personal research analyzing the market segment, competitors, target group, and relevant trends, with a special focus on ergonomics, anthropometrics, and current and future materials and production techniques in the field of sneaker and sport shoe design.

Florian Seidl is an Austrian designer with several years of professional experience, currently working as Lavazza's design manager at the Innovation Center in Turin and teaching at the Scuola Politecnica di Design (SPD) in Milan. Kateem was awarded the Iron A' Design Award in 2016, recognizing its practical and innovative design that meets professional and industrial requirements.

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