The specification of personalised footwear for rapid manufacturing: a pilot study

Although rapid manufacturing has potential in producing personalised footwear, it is not known how best to measure feet in this context nor even whether a personalised shoe can positively affect comfort, performance and prevent risk from injury. A pilot study was conducted to define anthropometric measurement techniques for specifying personalised footwear and evaluate the most effective methods of measuring discomfort, performance and injury risk. Recreational runners were recruited and had anthropometric measurements taken as well as the plantar surface of both feet scanned. Participants then were fitted with footwear under two experimental conditions: control and personalised insole. The footwear were compared in terms of discomfort ratings, performance and injury risks. Metatarsophalangeal joint height and hallux height showed positive correlations (p< 0.05) with discomfort scores in the forefoot, whereas relative arch deformation showed significant positive correlations (p<0.05) with discomfort scores in the midfoot and arch areas. No significant differences were found between the two conditions for discomfort scores and performance. With regard to injury risks, significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the two conditions for midfoot peak plantar pressure. The results suggest that producing personalised insoles from scan data and the rapid manufacturing process is feasible