1. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
NEED
[Source 1,2,5,6,7,12,15]
- Shoes are used daily by people around the world in order to protect their feet
while taking part in activities.[15]
- By wearing shoes, diseases and infections can be prevented, such diseases present
in Africa include, but are not limited to:
Podoconiosis/Elephantiasis [6][7][12]
-Countries in Africa affected: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, Tanzania,
and Equatorial Guinea
-People become infected when they work barefoot near a volcano (active or
inactive) and walk in the volcanic soil.
-Particles of silica enter the skin and enter the lymphatic vessels; the body reacts
and clogs the wound, which causes elephantiasis (enlargement/swelling of legs,
arms, or other body parts to elaphantoid size).
-By wearing shoes, this disease can be prevented because their feet do not come
in contact with the infected soil.
Figure 1 Figure 2
http://tmcr.usuhs.mil/tmcr/chapter26/clinical19.htm http://tmcr.usuhs.mil/tmcr/chapter26/clinical19.htm
Schistosomiasis/Bilharzia [2][12]
-Areas in Africa affected: Freshwater in sub-Saharan and southern Africa, also
regions in Mahgreb region of North Africa, and the Nile Valley in Egypt and
Sudan
- If small snails that contain the parasite are present in the water, the parasite
leaves the snail and is transmitted into the water, and when a person washes,
swims, or wades in this contaminated freshwater their skin is penetrated and they
are infected.
-If infected multiple times, these people may suffer damage to the liver, intestines,
lungs, and bladder.
-By wearing shoes this infection may be prevented because their feet are protected
when wading through unsafe freshwater.

2. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
figure 3 http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/
[12]
Tungiasis
-Areas in Africa affected: tropical Africa, it is prevalent where people live in poverty
-A sand flea will burrow into the foot or lower part of the leg because it cannot jump very
high.
-A fibrous cyst will from and swelling will occur after the sand flea has entered the skin.
-“It may progress to bacteremia, gangrene, tetanus and death.”[12]
-Prevention of this infection is possible by wearing shoes.
figure 4 http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/html/Frames/S-Z/Tungiasis/body_Tungiasis_page1.htm#Causal Agent
- By developing a method to produce shoes, we can help to prevent these infections
and diseases.
- Using 100% recycled materials as the materials to make shoes will help reuse
recyclable products and save money, while still providing a solution to the
problem with shoes in Africa.
- In 2006, “Each day in the US more than 60 million plastic water bottles [were]
thrown away.”[5]
- “Approximately 242 million tires are discarded annually in the United States.
Fewer than 7 percent are recycled, 11 percent are burned for fuel, and 5 percent
are exported. The remaining 78 percent are sent to landfills, stockpiled, or
illegally dumped.”[1]
- As can been seen, the amount of plastic bottles and tires that are thrown away is
outrageous. These materials could be sent to Africa as a way to help prevent
disease because we can create a set of instructions to develop shoes from these
materials.
- Finding a solution to this problem would benefit the US because the products
used for the shoes would not remain in landfills, instead they would be used to
protect people in Africa from various diseases.
- This problem was chosen because we have the possibility of bettering multiple
countries, and the possibility to save people’s lives.

3. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
Other Viable Solutions
[Sources 11 and 16]
 Several other people are trying to solve the same problem as us: get the people
of Africa decent foot protection
Old Shoes
 Yes, Inc. is currently sending
thousands of pairs of old, gently used
shoes to the people of Africa to help
prevent diseases
 By creating a shoe drive, they are able
to send decent shoes to people who
might not have ever owned a real pair
of shoes in their lifetime
 This will allow impoverished areas of
the world to be able to do what they http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6
need to do everyday to survive and T2kVa7G_6g/Sh2vyH1WZpI/AAAAAAAABWc/MPsBo-
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decrease the amount of pain they eoden.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-to-do-with-old-running-
shoes.html&usg=__jm_QPBtQzHF8tDNxR7rHLXjaae0=&h=230&
w=320&sz=29&hl=en&start=0&sig2=Jy3be2VDNH7V-
might have from walking around p_r5GczyQ&zoom=1&tbnid=c9ldVWQe712kzM:&tbnh=135&tbn
w=213&ei=il5LTc3xFIP7lwfolPHiDw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dge
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m=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=700&oei=il5LTc3xFIP7lwfolPHiDw&e
sq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=146&ty=88
 Shoes will not only decrease pain for
these people but it will also protect
their feet from dirt and oil that could
cause disease
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m/wp-
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y=53

4. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
Other Recycled Materials
 A company in the UK, Worn Again, makes
their shoes out of old clothes and other items
such as discarded suit jackets (outer, lining
and buttons), parachutes, prison blankets, ex-
military long johns and towels, car seats,
scrap leather and recycled rubber
 This also creates shoes of about 99% recycled
materials, also making original shoes where
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.treehug no two pairs are the same
ger.com/Levis-Reused-Jeans-
Shoes.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009
/06/old-jeans-get-the-boot-levis-make-re-used-jeans-
shoes.php&usg=__dtibJ_XoHHImvBwaSINNK2qI6kw=&h
=321&w=468&sz=40&hl=en&start=0&sig2=PhNLfyx7eKs
bcU_06KEP8Q&zoom=1&tbnid=gdNEwms8EY2-
oM:&tbnh=144&tbnw=199&ei=x2FLTbiHA8OqlAezlNX5
Dw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djeans%2Bshoes%26um%3D1
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a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-
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ch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=411&vpy=204&dur=47
&hovh=186&hovw=271&tx=132&ty=60&oei=x2FLTbiHA
8OqlAezlNX5Dw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=9&ved=1t:429,r:
1,s:0
 It is also possible to make
sandals and the soles for shoes
out of the rubber from old car
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tires 04.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/03/shoes_made_
from_recycled.html&usg=__7SZrMyJ4bVR7PT7M2xG_b8V6ITk=&h=37
 Shoes are being made of very 5&w=500&sz=52&hl=en&start=2&sig2=EstyzlHRX90SVyS_udq6HQ&z
oom=1&tbnid=YEVtkP5EqFZaxM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&ei=WmJLTee0
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US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D553%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&it
bs=1
one-of-a-kind shoes), and water bottles chewed up and using the fibers put
together to create a strong bond
 Shoes could also be made from the denim of old jeans
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.highsnobiet
y.com/uploads/RTEmagicC_lakai_recycled_1.jpg.jpg&imgrefur
l=http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2008/01/28/lakai-
recycled-program/&usg=__iho-
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&start=0&sig2=op9fL_auCffUP7CbR4Q4vA&zoom=1&tbnid=
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168&hovw=299&tx=130&ty=77&oei=K2NLTc_HOMWblge7
8_jWDw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

5. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
Calculations
[Source 13]
 In order to crush the bottle, a normal person would just step on it, flattening it
underneath their foot and allowing it to form to their foot.
 An average male foot is about a size 9 or 10, which is about 10 inches long.
 An average female foot is about a size 7 or 8, which is about 9 inches long.
 Both feet may be able to slide into a 1 Liter bottle but they would be too small
and they might need to use a 2 Liter bottle for adults.
 Children will use bottles that increase in size as they grow older, starting with a
16.9 ounce water bottle.
 If the adhesive connecting the bottle to the wrapper gives out, then a grocery
bag could be attached to the bottle by cutting holes in the side of the shoes in
place as a secondary strap.
 The bag will be able to stretch more and last longer after the primary wrapper
breaks.
 Bottles that we have easy access to have the following volumes: 7.7 fl oz, 16.9 fl
oz, 1 liter, and 2 liter.
 The plastic bottles are about 1-2 millimeters thick.
 Geographic Region
[Sources 3, 4, 10]
 -Poverty is defined as the lack of basic human needs.
 In the Continent of Africa Cozay.com
 “Poverty is going empty with no hope for the future. Poverty
never takes a holiday," Said by a Poor African.[3]
 -In Africa a child dies every three seconds from AIDS, most often
before their fifth birthday.
 -On Average about six million children die from malnutrition.
 -About 50% of Africans suffer from cholera and infant diarrhea
because of unclean water.
 Approximately sixty-five percent of the world HIV population is
in Sub-Saharan Africa.-Two million children under the age of 14
 have HIV and Aids.

6. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
http://cozay.com/

 -The Slum houses made with mud have no basic sanitation
needs and help influence the spreading of diseases on the
ground.
 -Children are used for war and are more than half of the
casualties.
 -184 million suffer from mal nutrition.
 -One in two people in Africa lives on less than one dollar per day.
http://cozay.com
 /
 Material Properties
[Sources 8, 9, 14]
 Plastic
 -Plastic is a material made out of a large range of synthetic or
semi-synthetic material.
 -Plastic is a polymer. A polymer is a large molecule composed of
repeating patterns. This large molecule has covalent bonds.
 -Plastic in Greek means being able to be shaped or molded. Like
many plastic bottles today.
 -Because plastics are malleable they can be made into a variety
of shapes.

7. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic
 Synthetic Rubber
 -Synthetic Rubber is man-made rubber.
 -Like plastic rubber is also a polymer, which means a very big
molecule made up of repeating patterns and covalent bonds.
 -Rubber is very elastic, meaning it can be stretched and pulled
with no harm done to the material. This is what makes it a good
material for a shoe. As it constricts and contracts with the
movement of your foot.
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les/issues/2007-08-01/Tire.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Green-
Transportation/2007-08-01/Tire-Pressure-Gas-
Mileage.aspx&usg=__24Sl6eksOCf1cbrLeNMqfNW3dvY=&h=358&w=300&sz=16&hl=en&st
art=0&zoom=1&tbnid=2RJRqGrnZ_mEpM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=109&ei=PnFMTbfVH4H_8Aa5
3filDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtire%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-
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68&oei=PnFMTbfVH4H_8Aa53filDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=17&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&tx=56&t
y=65
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<http://cozay.com/>.

8. Assunta De Pau, Brady Koht, Joe Gallo
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<http://www.shoes.com/content.aspx?contentid=FITASSIST&OriginalSearchTerm=size
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