Advanced technologies for shoe sole production

¹ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Textile and Fashion Department, Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania.
² School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal.
³ Computer Science and Communication Research Centre, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal.
⁴ Information Systems and Computer Graphics, Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), Porto, Portugal.

^* Corresponding author: tspahiu@fim.edu.al

Abstract

Advanced technologies for modelling and production are an important part in the whole process of product manufacturing. These advancements have changed the way of product development and play an important role in customization. In the footwear industry, as in any other industry, the use of these technologies is widely spread. Footwear comfort is one of the main selection criteria for purchase. Considering this fact, a case study of different steps for shoe designing according to individual foot shape will be presented. Taking into consideration the aesthetics of the sole and in a more sustainable view, through topological optimization reducing of material wastage for sole production will be presented. By means of the topological optimization in the shoe design process, sole optimization is realized. As a part of personalization, feet’s plantar pressure maps taken from 1 participant gave a better explanation of weight distribution of each foot. Following, sole personalization according the plantar pressure maps for each foot gives the possibility to obtain the best least material design according to the feet’s pressure while maintaining biomechanical performance.