A last extension for a shoe last provides a pattern defining an origin location. The origin location on the last extension can be used to identify locations or points on a last or a shoe component on a last for control of location-critical manufacturing operations, including decorative and functional operations.

A method for locating critical control points on a part or combination of parts during a manufacturing process involves mating, directly or indirectly, a jig extension to the part or parts. A pattern on the jig extension defines an origin point that is used to track the position of the part or parts during manufacturing, such as during location-sensitive operations. The jig extension may be a shoe last extension which connects to a shoe or shoe component via a shoe last.

A last extension for a shoe last provides a pattern defining an origin location. The origin location on the last extension can be used to identify locations or points on a last or a shoe component on a last for control of location-critical manufacturing operations, including decorative and functional operations.

A skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a skater (e.g., a hockey player). The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the skater and a skating device (e.g., a blade and 5 a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface (e.g., ice). At least part of the skate boot and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) may be constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate (or other 0 footwear) to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured. Other articles of footwear are also provided.

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 modular technical system for creating a patient-data-specifically individualized foot sole last (15) having a modular structure, characterized in that per zone (16; 24, 25, 26, 27) of the foot sole last (15) it comprises respectively one or more mutually exchangeable standard foot sole last modules (17) as standardized components whichafter selection of the suitable standard module (17) from orthopaedic aspects for the respective zone (16; 24, 25, 26, 27) of a patient's footcan be mounted consecutively along the longitudinal axis (22) of the foot sole last (15) in series zone-wise or at least partially adjacently to one another to form a patient-data-specifically individualized foot sole last (15) having a modular structure, wherein the upper sides of the standard modules (17) are configured depending on shoe size and depending on zone (16) as negative to the corresponding zones (16) of the foot of the patient and/or each have a shape which, specific to shoe size and specific to zone (16), corresponds from orthopaedic aspects to the most logical shape for correction or treatment of one specific or several of the statistically most commonly occurring deformities or diseases requiring treatment from orthopaedic aspects and wherein the transitions (23; 28, 29, 30) between two neighbouring standard modules (17; 24, 25, 26, 27)in the side vieware stepless and smooth andin the plan viewadjoin one another without gaps.

An example physical last includes a body having a bottom region. The physical last also includes a fitting attachable to the bottom region to define a component of a shoe. The fitting is manufactured based on three dimensional (3D) scan data of a foot of a customer and pressure data associated with the foot of the customer.

Method for producing an individual foot sole last (15) for a patient (10) or sportsman by reference to measured values and/or medical findings which are obtained from the body of the patient (10) or sportsman, characterized in that the individual foot sole last (15) is constructed of individual pre-fabricated standard modules (17), wherein the standard modules (17) are selected from a module set, whereby by reference to the measured values and/or medical findings which are obtained from the body of the patient (10) or sportsman, an actual value for the foot mould is determined and this is compared with one or more predefined desired values and by reference to the result of the comparison and the knowledge of the standard modules (17) present in the module set, those standard modules (17) are selected and combined in their sequenceor specified in their sequencewhich come closest to the ideal individual foot sole last (15) determined by reference to the comparison of actual and desired value.

A modular last system comprising: a frame and plurality of last segments removably attached to the frame, wherein the plurality of last segments each have an outer surface that defines an anatomical shape.

A method for locating critical control points on a part or combination of parts during a manufacturing process involves mating, directly or indirectly, a jig extension to the part or parts. A pattern on the jig extension defines an origin point that is used to track the position of the part or parts during manufacturing, such as during location-sensitive operations. The jig extension may be a shoe last extension which connects to a shoe or shoe component via a shoe last.