A method of customizing a boot, for example a skate boot, includes generating a tridimensional digital representation of a wearer's foot using numerical data obtained by scanning the wearer's foot. A boot with a foot size corresponding generally to a foot length of the wearer's foot is selected. A core is also selected. The core, a medial side insert and a lateral side insert are inserted into an internal space of the boot such that the medial side insert and the lateral side insert straddle the core. The medial side insert and the lateral side insert are manufactured based on the tridimensional shape of the foot. At least a portion of the boot is then heated such that the boot is thermoformed to follow surfaces of the medial and lateral side inserts. The core, the medial side insert and the lateral side insert are then removed from the boot.

A footwear apparatus, comprising receptacles, having a mechanism that automatically removes and replaces interchangeable sole footwear parts; an automatic complete new sole dispenser; an automatic new sole heel dispenser; a complete old sole recycling automatic ejection component; an old sole heel dispenser automatic ejection component; a computer-implemented method for serving footwear and footwear soles to consumers from a vending machine; a computer-implemented foot scanning device, wherein said apparatus is comprised of a configuration to automatically replace the sole or partial sole of a pair or pairs of footwear.

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure with a sole member. The sole member can include a set of apertures that is formed along various surfaces of the sole member. The sole member can be manufactured using a customized cushioning sole system, forming generally circular patterns throughout the sole member. A user's foot morphology and/or preferences may be used to design the sole member.

A method for optimizing individually tailored garments includes measuring at least one body part and generating a first data set for manufacturing the garment, including measured data, manufacturing the first garment based on the data, the garment including a passive indicator element via which properties and/or changes of the garment due to wear is determined, and use of the first garment. The method includes examining the first garment regarding changes due to wear for producing a second similar garment, thereby generating a second data set containing measured data of the first garment, comparing the second and first data sets, and checking the passive indicator element with regard to information relevant to producing the second garment. Then, a third data set based on the first and second data sets, and the result from the passive indicator element check is generated, and the second garment is manufactured based on the third data set.

In at least some embodiments, an orthotic footbed assembly includes a three-dimensional footbed that closely approximates a size and configuration of a particular foot and at least one orthotic feature additively coupled to the three-dimensional footbed. In at least some other embodiments, a method of making the orthotic footbed assembly includes direct printing of orthotic features onto a 3-D footbed. Another method includes indirect printing of orthotic features and applying these features onto to a 3-D footbed. And yet another method includes direct printing of orthotic features onto a 2-D blank footbed and then conducting a three-dimensional forming operation to make the orthotic footbed assembly.

The present invention relates to an apparatus comprising: a seat for a patient; a support platform for the feet of the patient, positioned anteriorly to the seat; an alignment system allowing a patient's leg and its corresponding foot to be aligned in the three space planes in order to determine the tibia correct verticality; a system for properly positioning the foot on the platform including at least turrets able to allow pads to be applied in contact with the talus and/or scaphoid inside the foot and in contact with the calcaneus and/or cuboid outside the foot; a foot measurement system in a neutral position; an automatic real time driving system for properly positioning the leg and foot with numerical indication and direction of the movements to be carried out; a central unit capable for receiving and processing the data detected by the measurement system for footprint digitalization.

A last is provided for shaping a shoe upper, such as a custom-made last tailored to a user's foot. Embodiments include a last for shaping a shoe upper including at least an outer peripheral portion comprising an aggregate of a plurality of blocks, the plurality of blocks being joinable together to form a portion of the last and shape the shoe upper, and separable from each other after being joined together. The plurality of blocks includes a first plurality of blocks which are identical to each other. Embodiments also include a method for producing a last for shaping a shoe upper, the method including forming the last by joining a plurality of blocks together to form an aggregate, the plurality of blocks including a first plurality of blocks which are identical to each other.

In a markerless foot size estimation device 100, a shape data input unit 10 acquires three-dimensional shape data of a foot of a subject and stores the three-dimensional shape data in a shape data storage unit 20. A characteristic extraction unit 30 extracts foot shape characteristics from the three-dimensional shape data of a subject's foot stored in the shape data storage unit 20, and stores the foot shape characteristics in a shape characteristic storage unit 40. A machine learning unit 50 uses, as teacher data, foot shape characteristics and arch height stored in the shape characteristic storage unit 40 to create, through machine learning, an estimation model used to estimate arch height based on foot shape characteristics, and stores the estimation model in an estimation model storage unit 60. An estimation output unit 70 uses the estimation model stored in the estimation model storage unit 60 to estimate arch height based on extracted shape characteristics and outputs the arch height.

A device for detecting a foot abnormality includes a platform configured to be stood upon by a user, an imaging device within the platform, and a processor connected to the imaging device. The processor is configured to detect a foot abnormality from images gathered by the imaging device.

A prediction device includes: a communication device that acquires measurement subject data including measurement data of a shape of a foot of a measurement subject person in a loaded state; a storage that stores first sample data in the loaded state and second sample data in an unloaded state, the first sample data and the second sample data being calculated from measurement data of foot shapes of a plurality of samples, the samples being identical both in the loaded state and the unloaded state; and a processor that predicts the shape of the foot of the measurement subject person in the unloaded state. The processor calculates a difference between the measurement subject data and the first sample data, and predicts the shape of the foot of the measurement subject person in the unloaded state based on the difference and the second sample data.