MERIDIAN, Miss. – January 14, 2026 – When leadership teams from Meridian Footwear and Bloom, a sustainable materials manufacturer, met with the Lauderdale County School District, the goal was simple: create opportunities that help students see where creativity and careers intersect. What followed was a project designed to move learning beyond the classroom and into real-world application—a shoe marketing and design contest built around innovation and collaboration.
From cozy house shoes and practical nursing footwear to high-performance cleats, rugged safety boots, and even designs meant for zombie survival, students created more than fifty unique shoe concepts. The FlexFactor iterations strengthened skills in research, graphic design, presentation development, public speaking, and teamwork, while giving 168 students the opportunity to imagine themselves in future careers tied to design, marketing, and manufacturing.
“We are fortunate to have Meridian Footwear, an innovative shoe manufacturer, in our community, and the opportunity for our students to engage with their work is truly invaluable,” said Teresa Radcliffe, MS-SHIPS program manager at Meridian Community College. “In addition to each student, faculty member, education leader, and community partner involved in this project, I cannot thank Meridian Footwear enough for the work they have put into developing the shoe prototype over the last year.”
Administered by NextFlex in partnership with AccelerateMS, MS-SHIPS, and the Department of Defense, FlexFactor is a flagship initiative in advanced manufacturing innovation. The program introduces K–12 students to advanced manufacturing technologies while guiding them through STEM career pathways.
While FlexFactor typically includes an electronic component, Radcliffe said the program allows managers to adapt the curriculum to meet specific project needs.
“For this initiative, we emphasized the marketing aspect of the shoe, knowing we were partnering with a company that would bring the winning design to life and provide industry support,” she said.
The winning design, created by four students from Northeast Lauderdale High School, reimagined traditional steel-toed boots by replacing heavy steel with a non-Newtonian material. Under normal conditions, the material behaves like a liquid but instantly hardens when subjected to strong impact. Through research and development, the team identified a non-Newtonian foam that offered the same protective benefits while being lighter and easier to integrate into the boot.
The prototype is on display at the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience in downtown Meridian, alongside renderings from the other student design teams.
The hope is that one day this boot will be worn by workers across Mississippi’s shipbuilding and defense manufacturing industries.
About AccelerateMS
AccelerateMS supports the people and businesses of Mississippi by creating and implementing workforce strategies that link individuals to transformative, high-paying careers. Through strong partnerships and effective grants management, the organization promotes sustained individual, community, and statewide economic growth.
