Abstract
For improving the fitness of footwear and providing references of shoe last design, this study proposes a feasible method to build a foot shape database of adult male from 18 to 25 years old in Taiwan. With 3-D non-contact foot scanner, we can acquire the 3-D surface data of foot and extract 19 essential 1-D dimensions, 3 2-D styling curves and 3 cross-sections that presented the characteristic of fore foot shape through the foot shape analysis. After that the foot shape data is classified according to 2 key dimensions- foot length and ball girth. Then we process differential analysis of foot shape in each size category to find the standard foot that has the minimum total differences between the other feet in the same size category. Finally the dimensions of the standard foot can be used in design of model size shoe last. The shoe last that made in accordance with the real standard foot shape can improve the fitness of footwear because it adapts to most of foot shape of the users in the size category.Recognizing significant points automatically is the main principle of our foot shape analysis method. Through the assistance of foot print outline and arch curve, in this study we can obtain the position of the significant points that are difficult to determine on foot surface. These significant points define the foot dimensions, including the 2 key dimensions- foot length and ball girth. We can size the foot shape data according to the 2 key dimensions with optimizing the size coverage and determine the size categories. In each size category we compare the projected-area on coronal and traverse plane of ball cross-section, waist cross-section and instep cross-section between each 2 feet. Through this differential analysis method the standard foot that has the minimum total differences can be picked out and its dimensions can be mapped to the model size shoe last design specification.We believe that the footwear made from this shoe last should be fitter than the footwear made from replicate last of other countries. And we can also expect the applicable potential of the 3D foot shape data in custom-made service and E-business.