In light of the recent threads on heel drop and gait analysis I found these articles rather interesting.
This one could be politically charged but I simply looked at the waste In the manufacturing process and finding a better way to manufacture the product.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/thirdpartycontent/running-shoes-have-large-carbo/13927791
FWIW, since I wear Hokas I'm sure my footprint is among the biggest. Pun intended.
Today I got home from work and found an article in the July Popular Science on custom shoes. I can't find the exact article online yet, but it mentions 3D printing being used for the Brooks Glycerin II. Also Nike is using the technology for the Vapor Laser Talon and New Balance will start using it later this year.
http://on3dprinting.com/2013/03/10/new-balance-develops-3d-printed-shoes-for-elite-athletes/
This is a slightly older article from last year that looks at the concept of 3D printing in shoe manufacturing.
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-07/3d-printed-shoe-could-help-save-sprinters-precious-seconds
So it appears that the shoe manufacturing process generates a lot of waste and is somewhat labor intensive and inefficient. At the same time there are so many different applications for shoes and everyone's feet are unique. Might we soon be able to walk into a running store, have a high tech computer gait analysis performed, a 3D print taken of our foot, along with other possible parameters. Then we would choose the options that we would want, such as padding, rock plate etc. and come back at a later date to pick up our customized shoes. All printed out to our exact specifications.
Will this be the future of shoe shopping and how long will it take to truly develop the technology?
Also, will I be able to make a fortune investing in 3D printing technology .
running under the BigSky
I asked that question in the other thread, not really dealing w/ 3d imaging, but kind of checklist affair ie width of toe box, stack height, drop, outsole, rock plate, etc- kind of a "semi-custom" shoe
2023 goal 2023 miles √
2022 goal- 2022 miles √
2021 goal- 2021 miles √
Warden, When I read this I thought about you and a couple of others here who need a wider toe box. I can see a lot of possibilities for this but doubt that it will be affordable in the short term. Maybe in 5-8 years.
Faster Than Your Couch!
I can imagine that the "semi-custom" shoe is a viable product in the future.
In Austria (and probably also in all other countries where they sell ski boots), ski boots were/are available which can be somewhat customized by foaming up the inner boot so that it adjusts to your individual shape. However, they still are only a small market segment, not a huge success as one would assume.
I guess it will be the same with the shoes - most people will still just get the standard ones, whether they fit their feet or not.
Run for fun.
I have full custom cycling shoes from they cost half as much as they do now ...
http://www.d2shoe.com/index.html
Watoni - I took a look at that site. Rather interesting. Just reading their description of what it takes to make a custom shoe shows how labor intensive it is and the difficulty of getting a perfect fit. If 3D printing does become a viable way to make a shoe I could see them utilizing that technology.
How much do you feel the shoes helped your performance?
I can imagine that the "semi-custom" shoe is a viable product in the future. In Austria (and probably also in all other countries where they sell ski boots), ski boots were/are available which can be somewhat customized by foaming up the inner boot so that it adjusts to your individual shape. However, they still are only a small market segment, not a huge success as one would assume. I guess it will be the same with the shoes - most people will still just get the standard ones, whether they fit their feet or not.
I knew that there were shops that made custom inserts for ski boots but really didn't know how they do it. Hockey players will get their skates heat molded to their feet and I have a pair of Red Wing orthodics that are heat mold-able. It seems like skates and ski boots would be a little easier to work with because they don't have to move in so many ways.
Watoni - I took a look at that site. Rather interesting. Just reading their description of what it takes to make a custom shoe shows how labor intensive it is and the difficulty of getting a perfect fit. If 3D printing does become a viable way to make a shoe I could see them utilizing that technology. How much do you feel the shoes helped your performance?
For me, the difference is huge. I get hot foot on long rides, and had debilitating pain in some ultras. The ultra model they have was based on a prototype they sent me when the racier shoes did not work for me when my feet swelled. They also did custom drilling for the cleat placement, which you cannot do with off the shelf shoes.
Mine are from 2007, survived me being hit by a car and sliding 60 feet down a mountain road, so I still wear them, scars and all. I might get another pair just as a back up for when these give up the ghost and before prices go up yet again.