The Prima is a shoe designed for inclusivity and accessibility. The inclusive shoe design combines the function of a shoehorn with a swivel mechanism to accommodate folks with various cognitive and motor levels. With its accessible design, Prima users can put their shoes on and take them off with ease.
Jean-Michel Rochette developed Prima with older folks who suffer from joint pain due to generative joint disease or arthritis. However, the shoes are beneficial to people of any age with various motor limitations. Rochette conducted a period of research and prototyping before concluding Prima's form. Prima has no laces and is a slip-on shoe. It also features elastic bands that connect the front of the shoe with the back to allow users to remove the shoe with their other foot.
Image Credit: Jean-Michel Rochette
What's Driving This Trend
- Inclusive Design
- Opportunity to incorporate inclusive design principles into a variety of products and services to better serve individuals with physical and cognitive limitations.
- Assistive Technology
- Emerging market for innovative technology that assists individuals with disabilities to improve accessibility and independence in daily life tasks.
- Aging Population
- Opportunity for developing products and services that cater to the needs of an aging population, including adaptive and accessible footwear.
Who This Affects Most
- Footwear
- Disruptive innovation opportunity to create inclusive and accessible shoe designs for individuals with physical and cognitive limitations.
- Assistive Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for technology companies to develop new and innovative assistive devices for individuals with disabilities to improve accessibility and independence in daily life tasks.
- Aging Care
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for healthcare companies to develop new products and services that cater to the needs of an aging population, including adaptive and accessible footwear.
