{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T23:03:53Z","timestamp":1769209433979,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,1]],"date-time":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1617235200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UID\/CTM\/50025\/2019 and UIDB\/04436\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/CTM\/50025\/2019 and UIDB\/04436\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"COMPETE2020 and FEDER","award":["Project FAMEST, Reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024529"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project FAMEST, Reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-024529"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>A methodology enabling the customization of shoes for comfort improvement is proposed and assessed. For this aim, 3D printed graded density inserts were placed in one of the critical plantar pressure zones of conventional insoles, the heel. A semi-automated routine was developed to design the 3D inserts ready for printing, which comprises three main stages: (i) the definition of the number of areas with different mesh density, (ii) the generation of 2D components with continuous graded mesh density, and (iii) the generation of a 3D component having the same 2D base mesh. The adequacy of the mesh densities used in the inserts was previously assessed through compression tests, using uniform mesh density samples. Slippers with different pairs of inserts embedded in their insoles were mechanically characterized, and their comfort was qualitatively assessed by a panel of users. All users found a particular pair, or a set, of prototype slippers more comfortable than the original ones, taken as reference, but their preferences were not consensual. This emphasizes the need for shoe customization, and the usefulness of the proposed methodology to achieve such a goal.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma14071738","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,1]],"date-time":"2021-04-01T10:44:01Z","timestamp":1617273841000},"page":"1738","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Towards Customized Footwear with Improved Comfort"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Rafaela","family":"Teixeira","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"IPC\u2014Institute for Polymers and Composites, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carlos","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Atlanta\u2014Componentes Para Cal\u00e7ado, Lda, Marco de Sim\u00e3es, 4615-414 Macieira da Lixa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7676-1581","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IPC\u2014Institute for Polymers and Composites, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Joana","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CTCP\u2014Portuguese Footwear Technological Centre, 3700-121 S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Madeira, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Vera Vaz","family":"Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CTCP\u2014Portuguese Footwear Technological Centre, 3700-121 S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Madeira, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Maria Jos\u00e9","family":"Ferreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CTCP\u2014Portuguese Footwear Technological Centre, 3700-121 S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o da Madeira, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5303-6467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o Miguel","family":"N\u00f3brega","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IPC\u2014Institute for Polymers and Composites, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0672-2894","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandre Ferreira da","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CMEMS-UMinho\u2014Center for MicroElectroMechanical Systems, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Olga Sousa","family":"Carneiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IPC\u2014Institute for Polymers and Composites, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1016\/0268-0033(94)90062-0","article-title":"Relationship between plantar pressure distribution under the foot and insole comfort","volume":"9","author":"Che","year":"1994","journal-title":"Clin. 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