Virtual shoe test bed: A computer-aided engineering tool for supporting shoe design

This paper introduces an innovative Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) system called Virtual Shoe Test Bed (VSTB) for supporting the development of new shoe designs. The proposed system includes functional design criteria for the different shoe elements in order to support the definition of the best solution for each product based on user needs and preferences. This is achieved by simulating physical tests which predict the interaction between shoe and user in order to obtain an estimation of several performance ratings without the necessity to manufacture and validate physical prototypes. The paper presents all functional criteria simulated in VSTB which provide a unique framework for supporting shoe design from the engineering point of view.