Katabatic Wind

The Katabatic Wind is an extension of the Katabatic family, offering the lightest weight and most technical fast hiking shoe Oboz has to offer. The Wind is intended as a fast hike shoe, built for fast packing and trail activities that require light packs and moving fast, combining super shoe trail run tech with hiking shoe durability. My role for this project included upper, tooling, materials and color design, and extensive wear testing. As the main marketing story, I also set the Fastest Know Time on Emigrant Peak with the Katabatic Winds.

The Katabatic Wind was a design-led project that began with an exploration into downhill running and load distribution during deceleration. The Wind was initially forecast for 1,500 pairs, however in it’s first year, the Wind sold in ten times the initial forecast.

Midsole Geometry Ideation

  • Toe spring ideation

  • Toe spring model

  • Toe spring model

  • Midsole geometry

  • Deceleration and midsole shear

  • Deceleration and midsole shear

Design Process

  • Part of the kit

  • Problems to solve

  • Design inspiration

  • Initial ideation

  • Direction A

  • Direction A

  • Direction A

  • Direction B

  • Direction B

  • Direction B

  • Initial tooling

  • Initial tooling

  • Final direction A

  • Final direction A

  • Final direction A

  • Final direction B

  • Final direction B

  • Final direction B

  • Alternative lacing

  • Final tooling direction

  • Final tooling direction

  • Final tooling direction

  • Color blocking direction

Katabatic Wind Techpack

  • New List Item

Tooling Drawings

Redlines