Digital shoe technology

Digital shoe technology makes it possible to precisely capture the foot shape and transfer it to the production of orthopaedic shoes or orthotics without loss of information. At Shapemakers, we support you as an orthopaedic shoe technician in digitising lasts and fitting models. You create a design in your favourite CAD software and we make sure that your model rolls out of our 3D printer exactly like this. 

3D printed last

What is digital shoe technology? 

Digital shoe technology is a process in which a patient's foot shape is digitally recorded via a 3D foot scan with pressure measurement, 2D scan or even another blueprint. This data is then used as the basis for the production of lasts and fitting models. The difference with traditional working: no plaster casts, no foam models that deform, no unnecessary interpretation between design and production. The data is leading and the product follows exactly. 

At Shapemakers, we translate the digital model into a physical product via 3D printing with applicable filaments. The design, corrections, fit adjustments and data such as the individual characteristics of the foot remain entirely in the hands of the orthopaedic shoe technician. 

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3D-Printed Lists

Digital vs traditional shoe technology 

Traditional shoe technology has many handover moments: taking a plaster cast, building the model and then still manually adjusting and correcting it. Each step requires craftsmanship, but is also a moment when information can be lost or deviations can occur. 

With a digital workflow, those transfer moments are minimised. You scan the foot, the model is in the software and you transmit the file to the 3D printer. Everything is in the system, reproducible and adaptable whenever you need it. That way, you work on orthotics and custom-made shoes faster and with fewer mistakes. 

Request more information
3D-Printed Wooden and PLA last
Custom solutions
Your reliable partner
More than 14 years of experience
Customer-oriented order portal

Full control over fit and correction 

The digital model is the starting point. Lists and fitting models are produced based on the geometry you have supplied. Any correction you make is reflected 1-to-1 in the final product. This ensures predictable and reliable production. 

Moreover: when a patient returns, you already have the data. You just have to adjust the design file in your software and the product that comes out is perfectly tailored to the new situation. That's customisation.

Benefits of digital shoe technology in the workshop 

  • Shorter lead times 
  • Exact reproduction for repeat orders 
  • Reduced physical storage of lasts and plaster models 
  • No interpretation between design and production 
  • Faster turnaround on adjustments or follow-up treatments 
  • Less post-processing, immediately deployable after delivery 
  • More output with the same effort

As a practice owner, this gives you more control over delivery times and quality. The orthopaedic shoe technician can focus more on the design and the patient. And the patient is helped faster. Win-win-win. 

Plan an introduction
3D printed commemorative statues

From digital design to 3D printed finished product

You don't need your own 3D printer to switch to digital shoe technology. Indeed, at Shapemakers, we precisely convert your digital designs into 3D printed models. This is how it works: 

  1. You scan the foot and process the corrections in your design software (e.g. LutraCAD) 
  2. You submit the digital file via our portal 
  3. We technically check the file for printability 
  4. The last or fitting model is produced 
  5. We check quality for size and finish 
  6. The model is delivered and ready for immediate use on the workbench 

What you deliver is what you get back. Always. 

Outsource digital manufacturing 

Not every workshop has the space or budget for its own 3D printers. Not everyone can mill orthopaedic moulds with their own milling machine - and they don't have to. Because we work as an extension of your workshop and take care of production. Regardless of whether you need something occasionally or structurally. 

You create a customised design, we take care of the rest. 

Also working with digital shoe technology? 

At Shapemakers, we are happy to help you transition to digital shoe technology. In doing so, we guide you through the entire process. From linking to your existing software to the first production, we connect everything directly to your workflow. Simply and quickly. 

Get in touch

What can we
help you with?

What our customers have to say

Guido Shoes

(5)

"Since working with Shapemakers and scanning body parts instead of using plaster, our process has become on average a week faster. The... fit is noticeably better and more accurate, and in case of questions, Shapemakers is always readily available and willing to help. "

OIM Orthopaedics

(5)

"3D scanning allows us at OIM Orthopaedics to work faster, more efficiently and location-independently. With Shapemakers as a permanent partner in the... scanning and milling of orthopaedic instruments, we are taking a big step forward in quality and innovation. "

B&C Custom Bracing

(5)

"With B&C Custom Bracing's 3D printed knee brace, we are demonstrating how digital workflows make customisation scalable. Thanks to collaboration with... Shapemakers and Shapeshift 3D, we process a knee scan into a perfectly fitting design within minutes, without compromising on comfort, protection and freedom of movement. " "

Digital vs traditional shoe technology 

Traditional shoe technology has many handover moments: taking a plaster cast, building the model and then still manually adjusting and correcting it. Each step requires craftsmanship, but is also a moment when information can be lost or deviations can occur. 

With a digital workflow, those transfer moments are minimised. You scan the foot, the model is in the software and you transmit the file to the 3D printer. Everything is in the system, reproducible and adaptable whenever you need it. That way, you work on orthotics and custom-made shoes faster and with fewer mistakes. 

Request more information
shoe technology model drawing in
Custom solutions
Your reliable partner
More than 14 years of experience
Customer-oriented order portal

Full control over fit and correction 

The digital model is the starting point. Lists and fitting models are produced based on the geometry you have supplied. Any correction you make is reflected 1-to-1 in the final product. This ensures predictable and reliable production. 

Moreover: when a patient returns, you already have the data. You just have to adjust the design file in your software and the product that comes out is perfectly tailored to the new situation. That's customisation. 

Start digitising

Benefits of digital shoe technology in the workshop 

  • Shorter lead times 
  • Exact reproduction for repeat orders 
  • Reduced physical storage of lasts and plaster models 
  • No interpretation between design and production 
  • Faster turnaround on adjustments or follow-up treatments 
  • Less post-processing, immediately deployable after delivery 
  • More output with the same effort 

As a practice owner, this gives you more control over delivery times and quality. The orthopaedic shoe technician can focus more on the design and the patient. And the patient is helped faster. Win-win-win. 

Request more information
shoe technology model drawing in

From digital design to 3D printed finished product 

You don't need your own 3D printer to switch to digital shoe technology. Indeed, at Shapemakers, we precisely convert your digital designs into 3D printed models. This is how it works: 

  1. You scan the foot and process the corrections in your design software (e.g. LutraCAD) 
  2. You submit the digital file via our portal 
  3. We technically check the file for printability 
  4. The last or fitting model is produced 
  5. We check quality for size and finish 
  6. The model is delivered and ready for immediate use on the workbench 

What you deliver is what you get back. Always. 

Start digitising

Outsource digital manufacturing 

Not every workshop has the space or budget for its own 3D printers. Not everyone can mill orthopaedic moulds with their own milling machine - and they don't have to. Because we work as an extension of your workshop and take care of production. Regardless of whether you need something occasionally or structurally. 

You create a customised design, we take care of the rest. 

 

Also working with digital shoe technology? 

At Shapemakers, we are happy to help you transition to digital shoe technology. In doing so, we guide you through the entire process. From linking to your existing software to the first production, we connect everything directly to your workflow. Simply and quickly. 

Start digitising

What can we
help you with?

What our customers have to say

Guido Shoes

(5)

"Since working with Shapemakers and scanning body parts instead of using plaster, our process has become on average a week faster. The... fit is noticeably better and more accurate, and in case of questions, Shapemakers is always readily available and willing to help. "

OIM Orthopaedics

(5)

"3D scanning allows us at OIM Orthopaedics to work faster, more efficiently and location-independently. With Shapemakers as a permanent partner in the... scanning and milling of orthopaedic instruments, we are taking a big step forward in quality and innovation. "

B&C Custom Bracing

(5)

"With B&C Custom Bracing's 3D printed knee brace, we are demonstrating how digital workflows make customisation scalable. Thanks to collaboration with... Shapemakers and Shapeshift 3D, we process a knee scan into a perfectly fitting design within minutes, without compromising on comfort, protection and freedom of movement. " "

Talking opportunities

Feel free to contact us to see together what we can do for you.

Do you already have an account for ordering orthopaedic moulds and 3D prints? Then log in via our order portal.