Dopie Design Evolution
 
Dopie evolved over a long time of researching different shapes and materials to find the ultimate in minimal footwear. These pictures illustrate key moments in the design of Dopie by Matthew Harrison while studying at the Royal College of Art in London.

Dopie - First ever prototype - Testing the Idea

This foam prototype was made very quickly to try out the idea that if a shoe was light enough and had a rigid sole, all you would need is a small nipple between the toes to hold it on the foot.

Dopie - Playing with the shape

Card models, stuck together with masking tape, with notes drawn on them helped develop Dopie's characteristic shape and style.

Dopie - Refining the concept


Form and structure is refined through models made from blue foam, that can be quickly shaped with hand tools.

Dopie - Presentation model


This model was made from a computer generated CAD file, rapid prototyped with an SLA machine and then cast in resin, to produce a hard visual model. This is the model that was presented at the RCA graduate show, and to Terra Plana, who would go on to manufacture the shoe.

Dopie - Mould pattern v.1

This is the first pattern made the factory in China, and was used to make the first moulded prototypes. It has the Dopie logo sketched on the top surface in black marker pen.

Dopie - First moulded prototypes

These pink shoes were the first moulded prototypes. They were a single foam piece, but proved to be too uncomfortable in between the toes. We needed a softer material around the toes, but to keep the rigid light foam as the main body.

Dopie - Dopie Mk1 to Mk2

This adapted moulded prototype shows the softer rubber parts painted onto it, and slots on the side added for an optional strap.

Dopie - Final mould pattern


This is the pattern which the final production moulds were made from, with softer toe and heel sections, and side slots for straps and accessories.

Dopie - Finished product..

...and the final products...for the mean time anyway, further innovations to come!

Matthew Harrison and creatiive partner Cian Plumbe run a design studio in Stoke Newtingon, London, named Studiohead.