Shoe Showdown Conclusion

Conclusion

I enjoyed testing the shoes. I compared name brand (Sketchers) and generic (Empire) shoes. It was fun to wear two different shoes. It made it easy to get ready in the morning because I always knew what shoes to wear. My hypothesis was that the Sketcher shoes would last the longest. I was correct. The Empire shoes started to fall apart the first week I wore them. I think that Sketchers must use better material and that is why they cost more. The better material helps them last longer.

I thought the Sketchers would be more popular. The Sketchers were more popular with the adults but kids liked the blue Empire shoes. The popularity of the shoes overall was almost the same.

I consider my product testing of Empire and Sketcher shoes to be a success. I wore the shoes every day for six weeks. The generic Empire shoes continued to fall apart faster than the Sketchers shoes. If I were to test the shoes again I would have more people test the shoes. Then I could see if the results would be the same.

Learning and exploring the wonderful world of science!

shoe pics

  After the first week both shoes showed some wear. The rubber stripe on the Empire shoe is starting to peal.



look close at the toe of the blue shoe.



The blue shoe fabric is getting very soft.

Data

I did an online survey of 40 people.

 People voted on what shoe they liked the best. 22 people liked the pink and black Sketchers shoe and 18 people liked the blue Empire shoe.

       I  did two in person surveys. The first survey was of 3rd graders and the second survey was of adults above the age of 30. The survey of 3^rd graders resulted in 11 people liking the blue Empire shoes and 5 people liking the black and pink Sketchers. 

       The second survey was of all adults. There were 23 people in the group 14 liked the black and pink Sketcher shoes and 9 people chose the blue Empire shoes.

When I combine the results of all three surveys, 41 people chose the black and pink Sketcher shoes and 38 people chose the blue Empire shoes. The black shoes are more popular among the individuals surveyed.  The results were very close. Most adults picked the pink and black Sketcher shoes while the kids picked the blue Empire shoes.

Learning and exploring the wonderful world of science!

Comparing the Shoes

We have already touched on the difference in the price. What else is different? Let's take a closer look.

Size Availability

I immediately noticed a difference in size range when I went to purchase the shoes. I bought the Sketchers first in a size 1. They had 1/2 sizes available but we felt a size 1 fists the best. Then I headed over to the Base Exchange to buy the Empire shoes. These shoes had an odd way of doing their sizes. They had shoes that had 2 sizes on them. For example there was  10/11's 12/13's 1/2's 3/4's etc. I bought the 1/2's.

The Sketchers are 8 1/2 inches long from heel to toe and the Empire shoes are 9 inches long from heel to toe. So how does size effect the fit? The Sketchers have a much better fit because they offer a more specific size availability. The Empire shoes fit ok, they are a little loose but not so much that they don't stay on. The Sketcher shoe has a better shoe size selection insuring a better fit.

Elastic (holds foot in shoe)

One might notice that these shoes have no laces and they have an elastic strap on the inside to help keep them from falling off your foot. The elastic in the shoes also effect the fit as well. The Sketchers elastic is attached on each side of the tongue of the shoe. This elastic runs down to the sole of the shoe.  It is about 2 inches long  and 3/4 inches wide on each side. This makes for a good fit because the entire top of the foot is secure.

The Empire shoe has elastic as well but the elastic is secured differently. The elastic runs through the inside of the tongue and is attached to the side of the shoe.  The total amount of elastic they use for this is 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. The elastic does not give as tight of a fit on the foot.

The Sketcher shoe elastic is more sturdy and helps in providing a more snug fit.

Heel of Shoe

The heel fabric is also very different. The Sketchers shoe fabric is stiff and hard. The Sketcher shoe heel can not be folded. The Empire shoe fabric is soft and can be folded in half. When I walk, if the heel of the shoe slips off, the Sketcher shoe's stiff fabric rubs my heel. The Empire shoe's soft fabric does not rub against my heel. The Empire shoe heel fabric is more comfortable.

Sole

 

The height of the Sketcher sole is almost 1 inch and the Empire sole is also approximately 1 inch. This is good for shallow puddle stomping and light rain only. Both soles are non-marking but the tread is also different. The tread on the Sketchers is very decorative. There are hearts and a small section of rectangles. The Empire shoes have a tight zigzag pattern of tread on the bottom. The Empire shoe provides better traction.

The Sketcher shoe has better size availability and a better elastic system. The Empire shoe has more comfortable heel fabric as well as better traction.

Learning and exploring the wonderful world of science!

The hypothesis

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

First, please go to the right side of my blog and vote on which shoes you think are more stylish!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


We have asked the question...which shoe will  people think is more stylish and which shoe will hold up the best after about a months worth of wear? I have even started wearing my mismatched shoes! Now it is time for me to state my hypothesis. But what is a hypothesis? A hypothesis is a guess, or an observation about the experiment without using any data (no fair in posting my hypothesis after the experiment. What would be the fun in that?).

My hypothesis: I am guessing that the black and pink Sketcher shoe will be picked as the most fashionable. I also think that they will hold up far better than the blue Empire shoe. I think that they are worth the extra money.

Next I will collect data about the shoes popularity as well as their durability and come to a conclusion.


Learning and exploring the wonderful world of science!

The product we are testing!

We are testing shoes this month!

That's right...is it really worth paying 5 times as much for name brand shoes??

We will see.

We have chosen to test out two different brands of shoes.

The first shoe we are testing are Sketchers.  We bought them for $36.95 at the Sketchers store.

  The second shoe we are testing is the Empire brand.The Empire shoes we bought at the Base Exchange for $7.95.

How are we going about doing this??? Simple, we will wear the the left Sketcher shoe and the right Empire shoe for about a month. Weekly we will compare how they are holding up to normal wear and tare.

Which shoe do you think will last the longest? Will there even be a big difference? What things should we compare? Price, durability, style, comfort?

The assignment

Parent orientation night the seats are packed. The teachers are reviewing the regular information... you know tardy policy, parent communication and yes the first big assignment. Not just any assignment but the mother load...a science fair project. The students are asked to do product testing. Hmmm...that sounds fun, right? What should we test? Diapers...no, antacids...definatly boring...if you are 8. We could test detergent...or the best way to cook a pizza....or chocolate chip cookie recipes...or what type of shoes last longer.What should we test?

Check back often and see what we are testing and how the competitors are doing!