Cinderella Shoe

2000/11/28 Mendiburu, Joana - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Diseinua
• Patenteak/Asmakizunak

Some young and older people need bespoke footwear for malformations, accidents, or congenital illnesses. In fact, orthopedic problems cause great pain and in some cases can make it difficult to function properly. Also, if you don't wear these orthopedic shoes, it can show up and make the disease worse. Bespoke footwear is therefore essential in some cases.

However, although orthopedic shoes are necessary, they are not as used as expected. Usually they are quite ugly and sometimes even uncomfortable, so at least the younger ones do not want to dress. The other big problem of these shoes is the time it takes to become. Until now, until getting a proper shape, many measures had to be taken and great adjustments made. These jobs were often boring and laborious for the patient and difficult for orthopedics.

Custom footwear

The French company Kreon, aware of this problem, began to change the shoe manufacturing technique in 1990. The idea was to get a faithful image of the foot by laser and design suitable and beautiful footwear. It is a simple and fast technique. The patient places the foot on a rectangular glass plate and the laser beams are sent from above, from behind and from the edge. The machine consists of four laser sensors with two small cameras per sensor. The cameras film and for measurements lasers and the mathematical model of triangulation are used. Thus, in a couple of minutes, the three-dimensional image of the foot appears on the computer. Measurements are calculated automatically with an accuracy of 0.3 millimeters. This device, in addition to precise, is small and therefore able to move orthopedists from one side to the other.

The results of ten years of research are positive and it seems that this is a technique that will open shortly. For the moment, in Nancy's hospital tests are being carried out and if everything goes well, it is possible that by 2001 custom orthopedic shoes are made. Of course, it is no wonder that all orthopedists spend more time before using the device. In addition, new companies will have to create custom footwear.

However, the company that has designed the technique has also seen other revenues. In addition to people with orthopedic problems, it also intends to sell bespoke footwear for people with surplus money.

Rich market

The idea of making shoes for the rich is already quite developed. The idea is that instead of taking orthopedists, traders take them. Of course, the appliance will only be present in some shoe stores. Kreon already uses this device in two shoe stores in Paris and another in Limog. When the buyer comes to these shoe stores, instead of asking the number he has, he asks him to enter the foot in the device and in a couple of minutes the measurements of the foot appear on the computer screen. Once the measures have been taken, the trader sends the customer's measurements via the Internet to Kreon. Considering the dimensions of the buyer's foot, only one shoe remains as soon as possible.

Those who have analyzed the shoe market say that in Europe there is a market for the sale of this type of production, although the cost of production, of course, is high. These shoes have been designated as a luxury production and, of course, will not be available to everyone. Yes, I would not be afraid of Asian economic production, since being a luxury product does not pay so much attention to the price.