Delcam Facilitates Footwear Design

The first step in the shoe-making process is the creation of the last (the form around which a shoe is modeled). So, given the importance of getting the right start, Delcam has enhanced the LastMaker capability in its 2010 Delcam CRISPIN (delcam-crispin.com) CAD/CAM software release. With it, last shapes can be extended beyond just the foot and ankle and modified up the leg for an enhanced design on shoes and boots. Leg height can then be graded, along with the rest of the last, to generate machining instructions after creation. Another software addition allows for the heel height to be adjusted without affecting other parts of the last design. LastMaker also includes improvements for designing orthopedic footwear. A shape modification tool allows bending from the last mid-section toward the toe, allowing the last to bend inward or outward to adjust to a patient’s foot.