Engineering High-Performance Athletic Protection Systems
My Role
As the Lead Product Design Engineer, I led the end-to-end development of the STOMP Athletics product line from concept through production, designing the Shoe Armor and Large Athletic Training Mat systems. I directed industrial design, material strategy, CMF development, technical packs, bill of materials (BOMs), EVA foam construction, sublimation manufacturing, and cross-functional product development while coordinating with manufacturing partners in Mexico to deliver production-ready products.
Impact
The STOMP Athletics product line was featured on Shark Tank in April 2026, showcasing the successful commercialization of the Shoe Armor and Athletic Training Mat systems.
Learn more about STOMP Athletics.
STOMP Mini Mat
STOMP Shoe Armor
STOMP Large Mat
From Concept to Shark Tank (April 2026)
End-to-end development of Shoe Armor and Large Athletic Training Mat systems — concept through production. Material strategy, CMF tech packs, EVA foam & sublimation construction, factory coordination (Mexico). STOMP featured on Shark Tank, April 2026."
The BRIEF
Youth athletes frequently lose traction on dusty indoor courts, leading to slipped plays and preventable injuries. Players routinely resort to wiping their shoe soles with dirty hands to regain grip, introducing bacteria to their skin and gear. The objective was to design a clean, highly wearable traction and protection system that eliminates hand-to-shoe contact and maintains optimal grip throughout high-impact gameplay.
My PROCESS
From sketch to golden sample — an iterative process of paper prototyping, CAD development, 3D-printed fit verification, and soft goods construction using engineered foam and laminated components. Each testing round informed the next until the design was ready for production.
PROTOTYPING
2nd prototypes: Found a solution for attaching shoe armor using laces and explored this with file prototypes for sizing.
First 3D print for testing, made with ninja flex material
First 3D print: Testing size, dimensions, and shoe lace attachment reimagined design.
First factory prototype: This was the first compression molded prototye using the materials, foam, and backing material in proposed compression molding we used for testing on the court.
USER TESTING
First on-court test — real athletes, real court, zero script.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Clean line art and CAD developed in SolidWorks, showcasing the scaled dimensional fitting for the mat systems alongside complex, ergonomic surfacing validation for the wearable Shoe Armor.
Shoe Armor Line art for CAD
Shoe Armor Isometric of 3D model
STOMP Large Mat line art
STOMP Large Mat Isometric view of 3D Model
PRODUCT EVOLUTION & OUTCOME
Transitioning from early concepts to the 2025 production models required strict iterative validation on the court. Testing proved that traditional rigid inserts restricted natural movement, driving a pivot toward a high-performance foam architecture that allows the user’s top-of-foot to flex naturally during high-impact play. The final production models successfully balance uncompromised structural defense with fluid athletic mobility.
STOMP Athletics achieved successful commercial scaling and a national, prime-time feature on ABC's Shark Tank in April 2026. Through rigorous DFM and optimized cross-border manufacturing, the project translated complex prototypes into a high-demand, market-validated athletic product.
CLIENT RESULTS
"Samantha has proven to be a top-notch professional and a true expert in her field. Samantha has been a fantastic innovator, designer, and creative engineer. Our team at STOMP have been impressed by the speed and quality of her work. Samantha, thank you for being part of our STOMP process, we are so thankful to have someone of your caliber working alongside our team!"
— David Gonzales
Founder & CEO at STOMP Athletics
Founder & CEO at STOMP Athletics
Let's Continue the Conversation
Many of my projects were developed under confidential client agreements, so only a portion of the work can be shared publicly. If you're interested in seeing additional research, design iterations, prototypes, engineering documentation, or production development for this project, I'd be happy to share more during a private portfolio review.
See the full product line at STOMPathletics.com
See the full product line at STOMPathletics.com
Please reach out using the contact form below.
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