Footwear Heel Stability Customization Through Iterative Sole Modification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear manufacturing methods lack customization for heel stability, providing only a single option for heel stiffness, which fails to cater to individual user needs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving an iterative process that uses customer feedback to customize heel stability by modifying the sole structure through drilling or lasering apertures or grooves, adjusting the compressibility of the midsole to match individual user preferences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If footwear is manufactured in bulk with a single heel stiffness option, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but adaptability to individual user needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-manufacturing sole members with a uniform heel stiffness profile in bulk, then subsequently modifying them through aperture formation based on individual customer feedback. This allows efficient bulk production while enabling later customization without requiring initial customization for each unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the sole member by forming apertures with varying patterns, sizes, and distributions to modify the heel stiffness profile. This transforms the uniform sole structure into customized configurations that adapt to individual user preferences while maintaining the base manufacturing efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sole structure is modified through drilling or lasering apertures, then heel stability customization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating non-uniform aperture distributions within the heel region of the sole member. Different areas of the heel receive different aperture patterns, densities, and sizes, allowing localized adjustment of stiffness properties to match specific user needs while maintaining simplicity in the overall modification approach.
3Measurement precision
If multiple iterations of customization are performed, then measurement precision of user preference is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by collecting customer evaluations of heel stability after initial wear and using this information to guide subsequent aperture modifications. This iterative feedback loop progressively refines the customization accuracy while managing time investment through structured, incremental adjustments rather than exhaustive redesign.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosed method provides a way to manufacture a style of an article of footwear in bulk, while providing customization for heel stability for individual customers. Moreover, the disclosed method provides a way to customize articles of footwear for a customer on an ongoing basis, such that the heel stability of the articles of footwear is refined until a tailored fit is achieved for the same customer. Generally, the method may include providing a user/customer with an article of footwear, getting evaluation information about the stability of the article of footwear from a survey (e.g., asking the user to rate the stability of the article of footwear in a smartphone app), modifying the next article of footwear provided to the user/customer according to the evaluation information, and iterating through this process to give the user an article optimized for stability