Creative Design: Graduate

Flex, Breathe, Fit, and Walk: Exploring Technologies Accessible in Academia for Design and Production of a Custom Fit Shoes

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Abstract

This exploratory design research was conducted to investigate the existing technologies accessible in academia to design and produce a sample pair of shoes with respect to standards implemented in footwear manufacturing. In this design, three factors were explored: flexibility in material and forms, breathability, and custom fitting. In this design, customized shoe sole and footbed was designed and 3D printed based on the customized foot form created from participant’s foot. The material used for 3D printing the shoe sole and shoe bed is a liquid base form called Tango which has a rubber-like quality to create a realistic prototype. in order to implement additional flexibility in shoe sole, the pattern of the sole followed the living hinge texture technique to guaranty the movement and bendability without breaking the material. Software used to develop this design include; Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Autodesk® Fusion 360™, and Slicer for Autodesk® Fusion 360™. Technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting used in this process.

Keywords: 3D printing, Footwear

How to Cite:

Aflatoony, L., (2019) “Flex, Breathe, Fit, and Walk: Exploring Technologies Accessible in Academia for Design and Production of a Custom Fit Shoes”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 76(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.8263