Prospect use of additive manufacturing for orthopedic footwear

Abstract

Orthopedic footwear products show a high interest for people with various foot health problems. Their use offers support and stability for consumers’ feet. The traditional way of producing orthopedic footwear products lack of accuracy buy not support various health problems of consumers feet. Advanced technologies, which are widely used in various industries, present an efficient method to produce customized orthopedic footwear. Starting from 3D foot scanning in various postures improves the fit and accuracy of these products. The digital information of the feet can also be used to analyze various foot problems and improve personalized footwear products. Their production through additive technologies as 3D printing presents a faster and more accurate way. Freedom to use various materials and 3D printing parameters helps to achieve the required physical and mechanical properties for orthopedic footwear products. Moreover, it supports the sustainable way of production through waste reduction. These case studies are shortly presented to give an overview of the disadvantages of traditional production and the advantages of the use of 3D technologies.