NASA Moon Boots
Year
Designer
Mentors
Version 1
2025
Han Lee
Skyler Lam
Austin Belanger
Michael Lye, Catherine Andreozzi, Felix Arwen
Our team contributed to the design of NASA’s extravehicular activity (EVA) boots, intended for lunar spacewalks. The project is led by NASA coordinator and RISD professor Michael Lye, along with RISD apparel professor Catherine Andreozzi, with additional support from Felix Arwen of NASA’s Soft Goods Department
Problem
NASA’s previously designed boots presented several challenges during use. The boots were clunky and bulky, largely due to excess material and the integration of bungee cords attached to the upper collar. Additionally, astronauts experienced difficulties with the connection points between the boots and the spacesuits, which affected ease of use and overall functionality.
Sketches
Our team compiled all the research and identified key problems, then brainstormed and sketched out ideas.
We reviewed and refined the sketches together before moving on to modeling, and also discussed our progress with our professors and assistants.
PrototypeBefore moving into CAD, we created a quick prototype of the shoe at actual size, incorporating some key design patterns to visualize how it would appear in 3D.
Process
For the first version of our moon boots, we created the structure using a 3D printer after modeling it in Rhino. We then used an industrial sewing machine to make the soft goods, and combined all the parts to build a concept model for our final design.
Design Process &
Future Direction
After receiving feedback from our mentors, we are continuing to develop the next versions of our moon boots, which will be updated soon.
Moon Boots Design Team (Han, Skyler, Austin)