Year:1997

Who: Ronald Demon ​

Where: Miami, Florida ​

What: Ronald S. Demon’s journey to inventing the "smart shoe" began when he was just 16 years old, fueled by a vision to create a more adaptive and comfortable athletic shoe. Growing up in Miami, he was passionate about both basketball and computer software, a combination that would later shape his innovative career. His interest in technology led him to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1995, where he pursued a degree in electrical engineering and computer science.

While at MIT, Demon worked on various computer projects, gaining expertise in digital graphics, photography, video, and Java applications. He also spent time at the Edgerton Center, Media Lab, and Intel Corp., further honing his technical skills. However, it was his early dissatisfaction with a pair of Reebok shoes that inspired his groundbreaking invention. The shoes featured a pumped-air cushioning system, but Demon found that the “pump” did not provide the comfort he had hoped for. Unlike most, he decided to take matters into his own hands and improve the design.

Drawing on his knowledge of computer systems, Demon designed a shoe with a sole containing interconnected bladders filled with shock-absorbent fluid. He connected sensors from each bladder to a computer chip that regulated fluid flow through tiny valves, adjusting the shoe's cushioning based on the wearer's movements and pressure points. This "Variable Capacitance Pressure Zone System" provided personalized, dynamic support, adapting to the shape of the wearer’s foot and the activity being performed.

Demon built a working prototype while still in high school and patented his design in 1998. He founded VectraSense Technologies to bring his Smart Shoe to market. By the time he graduated from MIT in 1999, Demon was a patented inventor, having also developed personalized search engine technology and a Virtual Server for his undergraduate thesis. His innovations have the potential to revolutionize footwear, offering enhanced comfort for athletes, medical patients, and everyday users alike.

Sources:

Websites:

• The Drop 303. (n.d.). Black History Month: Ronald S. Demon. https://www.thedrop303.org/black-history-month/black-history-month-ronald-s-demon/

• Google Patents. (n.d.). Patent US5813142A - Athletic shoe with adjustable support by Ronald S. Demon. https://patents.google.com/patent/US5813142A/en

• MIT News. (1998). It's Shoe Time: Student Inventor Ronald S. Demon. https://news.mit.edu/1998/its-shoe-time-student-inventor

• My Black History. (n.d.). Ronald S. Demon: Inventor of the Adjustable Athletic Shoe. https://www.myblackhistory.net/Ronald_Demon.htm