3D foot scan to custom shoe last

Today’s customers not only look at aesthetic beauty but also quality, comfort and fit. New technologies such as digitization and virtual 3D tailoring are providing more options to consumers and designers in designing different styles with the least possible time. Next to the shoe fashion and style, good fit and comfort are the second important determinant in the purchase of footwear. Although there is a need for better fitting, there are no techniques for fit quantification. In traditional shoemaking, the shoe is categorized by the length and width (or girth), hence there is always a mismatch between the complex foot shape and shoe shape. For the industry in order to meet the demand for better footwear, new techniques for fit quantification is required in order to have a direct mapping form foot to shoe-last (a mold for making shoes). In recent years, with the rapid development of computer technology and advanced design and manufacturing technologies such as computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), the manufacturing of customized shoe lasts is becoming possible. Still research is needed to find the best shoe-last. This paper discusses the basic concepts and current methods being followed to convert foot to shoe-last, retrieve the best fitting shoe last based on the 3D foot scan of the customer, and to obtain customized shoe last. Keywords-custom shoe last; foot scan; computer-aided design