Program Requirements to Advance the Technology of Custom Footwear Manufacturing

摘要

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the South CarolinaResearch Authority (SCRA) co-hosted the first Custom Footwear Manufacturing Workshop in Charleston, SC on March 10-11, 1994. At the workshop we discussed the potential creation of a nationwide, collaborative research and development (R&D) effort to benefit the American footwear industry. We discussed applicable technologies for custom and therapeutic footwear manufacturing, related business requirements, national impacts on the economy and health care, and potential strategies to launch a nationwide R&D effort. We decided that our best strategy will be to concentrate initial efforts on the technology requirements of therapeutic footwear. We believe that the proper development, commercialization, and particularly, the integration of the advanced technologies discussed will enable the cost-effective design, manufacture, and distribution of therapeutic footwear. This report documents the workshop and is intended as a starting point to initiate the R&D program proposed.