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#Working3D: Six Questions for a Footwear Engineer
We have seen in numerous projects how 3D printing is being used to make shoes. This is especially the case for the consumer goods sector, where we are seeing particularly fashionable examples, but also sports shoes, which enable greater performance…
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We have seen in numerous projects how 3D printing is being used to make shoes. This is especially the case for the consumer goods sector, where we are seeing particularly fashionable examples, but also sports shoes, which enable greater performance for athletes. However, it is also relevant for the orthopedic shoe industry, which focuses on creating footwear that contribute to the health of their wearers. Daniel Petcu focuses on the latter in his work as a footwear engineer. He has already been involved in numerous projects and designed the first complete 3D-printed orthopedic shoe presented in a case study at OTWorld 2024 in Leipzig, where he also wore a pair of 3D printed footwear created for him. We asked him a few questions to find out more about the work of a footwear engineer and the challenges he faces on a daily basis.
3DN: Could you introduce yourself?
Petcu (right) meeting Philippe Holthuizen founder of Fused Footwear at Footwearology’s event in Barcelona.
I am a footwear engineer with a Ph.D. awarded based on a thesis focused on foot orthoses for diabetic feet. My interest is in the area of medical footwear (including foot orthoses) which is not included in the scope of practice of footwear engineers, so it was an extensive self-education process to gain knowledge in the Pedorthics field. I have developed the new concept of Pedorthic Information Modeling, defined as the environment for the digital representation of the aesthetic, physical, and functional characteristics of the information model of medical footwear.
The concept was translated into practice through a Grasshopper visual programming code and 3D-printing of foot orthoses and orthopedic footwear. The Pedorthic Information Modeling concept and the Grasshopper code are being continuously developed and tested to be further validated by practice. They have been presented at significant events such as OTWorld in Leipzig, Germany (2022, 2024), IVO-OST in Koln, Germany (2022), FootPRINT3D in Barcelona, Spain (2023), International Rhino User Meeting in Wroclaw, Poland (2024), Pedorthic Association of Australia Conference (2024).
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