footwearinsight.com
THE 3-D BOOT
FOOTPRINT
BOOT B
OO
K
TERRA
3-D printing and
customization
capabilities have
been part of Terra
development for
several years and
helped with the
brand's new Nano-
toe and midsole/
outsole tooling for
the Fall 2018 Vertex
series. Custom rapid
prototyping allows
the brand to make
several rounds of
modifications and
produce a physical
sample for evaluation.
5.11
The Spring 2018
collection does not
specifically utilize
customization or
3-D printing, but the
brand is exploring
new options and
technologies for
future use.
DICKIES
Because each
component of work/
safety footwear
must pass specific
safety standards
and the finished
boot must be
tested and certified
to meet a set of
safety standards
for each category,
customization
remains difficult.
The brand does not
see any role for
3-D printing either,
saying it is too
expensive for mass
production.
OBOZ
The brand uses 3-D
for fast prototyping
to help the design
process and says it
expects 3-D printing
to lead to all kinds of
possibilities, some
of them unexpected,
in construction,
materials and
customization.
TIMBERLAND PRO
Rather than focusing
on ways to use
technology to
enhance aesthetics,
the brand is using
3-D computational
software systems
to model real-
life conditions so
technical design
and engineering
teams can analyze
and optimize
performance and
safety standard
conformance such
as toe/underfoot/
metatarsal
protection, traction
and support.
WOLVERINE
Customization and
3-D printing are
used in product
development and
the design process.
The brand prints out
a 3-D model of the
boot before getting
samples, which
allows it to make
changes earlier in the
process.
There has been a lot of talk about how the prospect of
customization and 3-D printing can revolutionize the way boots
are designed and manufactured and how they get from store
to feet. Here are where some of the boot brands stand.
