Custom Shoe Sole Design and Modeling Toward 3D Printing

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Footwear comfort is crucial for daily activities and can be influenced by plantar pressure.
• Current footwear design often lacks personalization for individual biomechanical needs.
• Customization can potentially optimize comfort and reduce stress during locomotion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a design procedure for customized 3D-printed shoe midsole lattice structures.
• To improve individual footwear comfort by considering body weight and activity requirements.
• To analyze the effects of lattice structures on minimizing plantar pressure and stress.

Main Methods:

• Designing various shoe midsole lattice structures.
• Selecting a common 3D printable material and validating its viscoelastic properties via finite element analysis.
• Analyzing lattice structure designs under diverse loading conditions.

Main Results:

• A procedure for fabricating customized 3D-printed shoe midsoles was investigated.
• The method aims to meet individual specifications using a single material.
• Optimization for minimum cost, time, and material usage was considered.

Conclusions:

• The proposed design procedure offers a pathway to personalized footwear solutions.
• Customized lattice structures show potential for enhancing comfort and reducing plantar stress.
• This approach integrates biomechanical data with additive manufacturing for tailored shoe components.