Shaping the surface of the shoe last

Abstract

The shoe last is the main forming tool used in the footwear production, the shape and size of which determines both the appearance and convenience of shoes during their use. The shape of the shoe last depends on a number of factors, including ergonomic factors, the purpose, the construction of shoes, the materials and technologies used, fashion requirements, and aesthetic preferences of the fashion designer. A shoe last is developed based on anthropometric data of a foot, but it is not a copy of the foot. The foot shape is transformed into the shape of the shoe last according to complex patterns. This article discusses the principles proposed by the authors for the formation of the surface of a shoe last in its design based on the anthropometric data of the foot. Methods of descriptive and analytical geometry, information about the anatomy, and biomechanics of the foot, are used to develop approaches to the formation of the shoe last surface. The shoe last surface refers to complex non-linear surfaces. To set it, it is proposed to use several guide curves, which are the characteristic lines of the shoe last. The approaches considered are used in the developed methods and algorithms for the design of shoe lasts based on the anthropometric data of the foot and can be applied in the development of software for the automated design of shoe lasts. The use of the proposed approaches to the shaping of the last surface makes it possible to raise the process of designing shoe lasts according to foot data to a new level, to make it more natural and scientifically justified.