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The Future of Footwear Design & Lasts: Do We Now Really Need Them?

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Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design (AHFE 2018)

Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 790))

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Abstract

The term last comes from the Old English, “laest,” which means barefoot. The last is an important tool used in the footwear making process. It defines the 3D footwear shape, influencing fit, feel, and comfort. It helps stabilize components during the assembly process. Despite the importance of well-fitting footwear, more than 43 million Americans experience foot pain due to poorly fitting shoes. So, if the footwear last is an important tool for making shoes, and it is a depiction of the barefoot, then something is not adding-up. Is there an opportunity to revolutionize a process that was created 1000’s of years ago? This position paper will review last creation, methods of make, and insights from industry experts, to suggest criteria for the development of a new athletic footwear making process.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oregon, Portland, OR, USA

    Susan L. Sokolowski & Jacob Winkler

Authors
  1. Susan L. Sokolowski
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  2. Jacob Winkler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan L. Sokolowski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Industrial Design, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    WonJoon Chung

  2. School of Art & Design, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA

    Cliff Sungsoo Shin

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Sokolowski, S.L., Winkler, J. (2019). The Future of Footwear Design & Lasts: Do We Now Really Need Them?. In: Chung, W., Shin, C. (eds) Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 790. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94601-6_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94601-6_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94600-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94601-6

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

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