A special shoe

[Black_Boots]

Hi all,

I was yesterday at the EMO (World Machine Tool Exhibition) in hannover for Professional purpose and when walking around the booths, I came across this amazing piece of art!

A high heeled shoe completely milled out of a solid piece of aluminum! Normally the manufacturer show technical parts, but some of them show some artistical or non conventional pieces.

It was 1:1 scale and quite well realized as you could see.

I wanted to share with you, enjoy!

Bye.

[Jkrenzer]

Wow a great way to show off manufacturing capabilities. Must save, who ever chose a hh shoe is likely someone who has a shoe fetish, no issue in my mind. I can't imagine anyone other than a high heel admirer even thinking of such a way to show off manufacturing capabilities. 

[alphax]

I spent a few seconds trying to figure out how to stick a foot into that...

[Charlotte]

I've been trying to experiment with 3D printing high heels without much luck.  The main problem with aluminum or plastic is chafing.  You need some kind of padding to prevent blisters.

Edited September 25, 2017 by Charlotte

[Shyheels]

1 hour ago, Charlotte said:

I've been trying to experiment with 3D printing high heels without much luck.  The main problem with aluminum or plastic is chafing.  You need some kind of padding to prevent blisters.

There was a young woman designer over here, in Britain, who successfully printed some very ornate high heels in titanium a couple of years ago. I can’t recall her name at present. It’ll come to me. I was doing a story on 3-D printing at the time and spoke with the specialist printing company that made them for her. 

I should add that these were just the heels of course, not the entire shoe

[Charlotte]

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

There was a young woman designer over here, in Britain, who successfully printed some very ornate high heels in titanium a couple of years ago. I can’t recall her name at present. It’ll come to me. I was doing a story on 3-D printing at the time and spoke with the specialist printing company that made them for her. 

I should add that these were just the heels of course, not the entire shoe

I've done the heel fine.  The whole shoe is another story.  

[Shyheels]

8 minutes ago, Charlotte said:

I've done the heel fine.  The whole shoe is another story.  

Yes, that would be difficult - and even harder to do it well. Do you work much with 3D printing? In the course of doing that story I spoke with everybody from medical researchers to fashion designers to architects to inventors. It seems like a fascinating field, but one that has been badly mis-sold to the public.

Edited September 25, 2017 by Shyheels

[Charlotte]

 I have a 3-D printer at home and a really high-end one at work.   We use them all the time to build prototypes.   For actual testing we will get the part made normally but 3-D printing can certainly help make ideas come to life quickly.   The printer we have at work can print up to 4' x 4' x 4' and most objects can be made within an hour. This is a custom 3-D printer that was partially designed by myself.   It can print in many different metals and plastic.    My home printer can only handle 18" x 18" x 18"  but it still can print in a variety of metals.  

[Shyheels]

I think that's what a lot of people never understood about 3D printing - that it's best use, at present, is for designing and building prototypes. I believe you mentioned being an engineer - so you obviously have skills and an understanding of technology beyond that of everyday folk, but for the rank and file it will be quite a while before people will be making complex items at home. 

It was quite an investing story to research - I enjoyed it and learned much. 

Edited September 25, 2017 by Shyheels

[Charlotte]

The idea that the average person could afford and operate a 3/d printer is crazy.

That being said it's not crazy to imagine a 3D loom being in your home.  You'd go to a clothing store website and pick an outfit you like.  You input your size/color and purchase the design.  Your loom then wires to life making a seemless garment as designed online.   Still I think the cost would outway the benefit, but it could happen.

[Shyheels]

It could happen - but I think it would be more likely that your design would wire to a fairly sophisticated and swift printer at a specialist shop than to something one could operate ad maintain at home. But who know. It is certainly a fast developing field.  For various scheduling reasons my story was delayed in getting to print several times - and because things were happening so fast in the field it meant I had to rewrite it a couple of times as whatI had written was getting out of date so quickly! 

[Cali]

Seven years ago I tried to get my hand surgeon to let me "print" a replacement for a bone in my hand using a type of plastic that cartilage can attach to. He wouldn't  let me do it, removed the bone and gave me  Experimental Operation #3. I wish I had been allowed to try it.

[Shyheels]

I don't know what Experimental Operation #3 is - don't think I'd care to have it performed on me, by the sounds of things - but on the other hand (so to speak) I'm not so sure the technology was there seven years ago for you to have 3D printed a suitable bone replacement.

[Charlotte]

31 minutes ago, Cali said:

Seven years ago I tried to get my hand surgeon to let me "print" a replacement for a bone in my hand using a type of plastic that cartilage can attach to. He wouldn't  let me do it, removed the bone and gave me  Experimental Operation #3. I wish I had been allowed to try it.

 In the US there's too many lawsuits for surgeon to try and unorthodox treatment. If you go out of this country you may of been able to try it.   I heard of someone with a 3-D printed hip,  but it was deemed experimental and the patient had to sign a mile of paperwork to get it done.

 I'd like to 3-D print some sort of foot stretcher.    I think this would be easier than a shoe because the structure would only hold one position and not move or be walked on

[Shyheels]

That should be possible - it would be simply, as I understand it, a shape, an orthotic but designed for very high heels . I would think if you did a 3D scan of your foot and then played with the results on a computer screen you could come up with the sort of shape you wanted.  After that it would be a matter of printing a couple of prototypes and perfecting it.  

Edited September 25, 2017 by Shyheels

[Charlotte]

 I really need to make friends with a shoe maker… In general people with experience to run a 3-D printer don't have the experience of actually making a comfortable heel.   But if I use my experience  and a shoemakers expertise we could probably come up with something as cool as the original post, but haven't actually work.

[Shyheels]

3 minutes ago, Charlotte said:

 I really need to make friends with a shoe maker… In general people with experience to run a 3-D printer don't have the experience of actually making a comfortable heel.   But if I use my experience  and a shoemakers expertise we could probably come up with something as cool as the original post, but haven't actually work.

You probably are onto something there. If you combined your experience and technological and engineering background, with the skills of a good bootmaker you could no doubt come up wth something clever and sophisticated - and what's more, marketable. 

Edited September 25, 2017 by Shyheels

[Charlotte]

 The question is could you ever design something perfect enough and tight enough that it wouldn't move while the wearer walks?    If so the shoe could be designed with no padding and just bare metal … But I wonder if that is possible.

 You would also need some kind of hinged entry around the ankle.   I don't think anyone could actually put on the shoe in the original post 

Edited September 25, 2017 by Charlotte

[Shyheels]

1 hour ago, Charlotte said:

 The question is could you ever design something perfect enough and tight enough that it wouldn't move while the wearer walks?    If so the shoe could be designed with no padding and just bare metal … But I wonder if that is possible.

I should think you could design something functional - at least in an abstract sense, although not terribly practical. It would obviously have to be custom made for that one individual, and probably designed after scanning the person's gait and walking motion. I can't imagine such a boot would be terribly comfortable to wear, especially without padding, but then I suppose comfort is not the point here. It’s theoretic. 

Edited September 25, 2017 by Shyheels

[Charlotte]

 I've thought of designing a metal boot that had latex airbags on the inside.  These would be inflated by compressor fitting In Heel after they are put on.  The inflated bags inside the shoe would be quite thin to prevent making the shoe to big, but I think that could stabilize the foot while allowing a little bit of flex.

Edited September 25, 2017 by Charlotte

[Shyheels]

Just now, Charlotte said:

 I've thought of designing a metal boot that had latex airbags on the inside.  These would be inflated by compressor fitting In Heel after they are put on.  The inflated bags would be quite thin to prevent making the shoe to big, but I think that could stabilize the door while allowing a little bit of flex.

That is not too dissimilar to things that have been done with ski boots. I expect you could probably design and make such a boot, but I suspect your market would be fairly small and so unit costs would be quite high.

[wambound37]

1 minute ago, Charlotte said:

 I've thought of designing a metal boot that had latex airbags on the inside.  These would be inflated by compressor fitting In Heel after they are put on.  The inflated bags inside the shoe would be quite thin to prevent making the shoe to big, but I think that could stabilize the foot while allowing a little bit of flex.

That could work, or the bags could be left deflated if punishment was in order? 

[Charlotte]

1 hour ago, Shyheels said:

That is not too dissimilar to things that have been done with ski boots. I expect you could probably design and make such a boot, but I suspect your market would be fairly small and so unit costs would be quite high.

 I have a good job… I'm not really concerned with making it profitable… I'm more just want to make some fun toys to be used on me and people I know 

[Shyheels]

Well, you’re certainly in a position, and with the engineering background and know-how, to make it happen. The miracle of 3D printing is that it allows for affordable prototypes to be made, tested and perfected, and small batch custom made items to be printed as a sort of cottage industry.

Edited September 25, 2017 by Shyheels

[swedeheeler]

Whoaw what a shoe! Where do i get a pair in my size and how do i get into them? 

[manoleat]

I was at the EMO this year but sadly didn't see such a beautiful piece of art...

[HappyinHeels]

Fascinating topic! Conceptually, 3-D printing at home could allow someone to visualise what a pair of killer heels or a customised dress may look like. Sort of like an end around to noted designers selling clothing and shoes at premium prices and made under scandalous conditions. Anytime you give the consumer more options you are making that consumer more powerful. HinH

[crotchhiboots]

Wheres' Dr. Shoe when you need her?