Brands are launching sneakers designed to accommodate people with disabilities
Trend - Mainstream brands are launching new footwear options designed to improve the lives of people with disabilities. These include sneakers with a hands-free design for those with limited dexterity as well as unique design details that focus on the senses of touch, sight, and sound for those who require sensory-focused accommodations.
Insight - Thanks to the activist work done by people with disabilities and their allies, there is now a greater awareness of the need to break institutional and physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from living their lives like other citizens. As a result, consumers are demanding brands work towards inclusivity at all levels–from the products they manufacture to the employees they hire.
Insight - Thanks to the activist work done by people with disabilities and their allies, there is now a greater awareness of the need to break institutional and physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from living their lives like other citizens. As a result, consumers are demanding brands work towards inclusivity at all levels–from the products they manufacture to the employees they hire.
Workshop Question - How can your brand be more inclusive in the products or services you offer?
Trend Themes
1. Inclusive Design - Brands are launching new footwear options designed to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
2. Sensory-focused Design - Unique design details that focus on the senses of touch, sight, and sound for those who require sensory-focused accommodations.
3. Accessibility - Designs that make it easier for people with disabilities to buy footwear.
Industry Implications
1. Footwear - Mainstream and niche footwear brands are responding to demand for inclusive and accessible products.
2. Activism and Social Justice - Companies are facing greater pressure to address social justice issues and use products to promote awareness and activism.
3. E-commerce and Retail - Platform design that utilizes innovation to be more inclusive, and to capture customers that may have been overlooked otherwise.
