Shoe lasts, heels and soles 3d engineering course

Students, at the end of this course, will be able to create 3D models of heels and soles ready to be manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques and will have acquired terminology and understanding that will allow them to work with suppliers of these components.

These skills are fundamental for those working in product development and the structures department of a footwear company. However, we believe that a solid technical foundation also allows designers to interact professionally with their suppliers and obtain the best results

The first week of the course will be dedicated to exploring the world of lasts. We will do this with the help of NewLast technicians, an Italian world leader in the production of machinery and software for last design and production. Course participants will better understand how a last factory works through the opportunity to visit the Lombardy headquarters of one of the historic Italian last factories, Ifaba in Parabiago.

The main processes performed on lasts by pattern makers will be examined, both in the traditional method, with putty and file on physical wooden prototypes, and in the CAD EasyLast technical design mode that allows producing lasts in plastic and metal with numerical control machines.

The second week of the course will be dedicated to the fascinating world of heels: participants will visit one of the most important Italian heel manufacturers, Tacchificio Villa Cortese, where heels for some of the most important global fashion brands are designed and produced. The program then includes specific training in using Rhinoceros software, through which fundamental techniques of 3D heel design for women’s footwear will be learned.

The third and fourth weeks of the course will be dedicated to sole design: we will visit Apego, a historic partner of some of the most important sports and safety footwear brands, as well as FAE Project, which produces soles for some of the most important international fashion maisons. During classroom hours, the use of Rhinoceros software for 3D sole design will be explored. The path will conclude with hours specifically dedicated to design for additive manufacturing or 3D printing.