It’s so easy to go out and spend a fortune on a really good-looking pair of shoes. The pair that is in style. Something you will feel fancy wearing, but your feet won’t be feeling so special. That’s one of the double-edged swords of a really cool pair of shoes – sacrificing functionality for fashion.
Shahar Goren, a designer from Holon Institue of Technology in Israel has come up with the idea to design custom-made sandals that are not only fashionable, but stylish too. Goren, like many of us, have seen how easy it is to buy shoes in our “shoe size” but because of the structure of our feet are unique to us as individuals, it really isn’t a “one size fits all in that size” world. Goren’s idea sees making customized orthotics a solution to this problem.
By taking a 3D scan of the foot at the shoe store the customer then chooses the shoe they would like. This scan is then digitally processed at the warehouse, to a CAD file of custom made orthotics. The factory then produces the orthotics, which are then created by a C.N.C. machine automatically. Then within a few days, the shop receives the orthotics for easy placement into the new sandals. Quick, stylish and a customer who feels and looks great at the same time.
The first design idea created by Goren is a sandal collection for women. The sandals include three unique designs. Each design is made from leather for the upper part of the sandal. The footplate consists of two parts – A rubber sole which is formed using injection molding, and the custom made orthotic. The orthotic is made out of polypropylene which is long lasting, but also flexible. The later and the sole are stitched together in a way that is stylish, allowing for the easy insertion of the orthotic. At the heel of the shoe, there is a snap that allows for easy connection of the orthotic to the sole of the shoe. Talk about some fancy, happy feet.
Designer: Shahar Goren
