Shoe lasts and soles 3D design engineering

A course entirely dedicated to the study of footwear components: from design to engineering.

The “structural” components of the sole are vast and fascinating universes, which encompass fundamental skills for truly understanding the construction of a shoe. We created this 3D and CAD design course to offer students a concrete and unique opportunity: to acquire a solid foundation in the design of components that determine both the aesthetics and performance of shoes.

This path represents a valuable starting point for those who wish to specialize as technical designers or product developers and arrive prepared to enter the corporate world. At the same time, this technical sole design course offers indispensable tools to those working in product design, because it allows them to communicate better with those in charge of product development or with suppliers and collaborate effectively in the creation of successful designs.

Part of the course is dedicated to understanding lasts. We will study the characteristics of the different types of lasts used to create different footwear models. We will analyze the main modification operations performed on the lasts, initially by hand thanks to the use of wooden prototypes specially made for teaching.

Next, we’ll explore the use of CAD software. Rhinoceros will be used throughout the course. A prior understanding of the software is helpful, but we expect participants with no prior experience will be welcome.
We’ll focus immediately on designing shoe components. The ultimate goal of this course is to enable each student to independently design a 3D sole.