As you know, I started designing custom 3D-printed shoes for myself. This is a follow-up.
So, I spent some time modeling a basic, thin-walled shoe. Nothing fancy, just a quick something to test the fit and do my first TPU print - although I'll probably start with test pieces before printing this doozie.
One shoe fits on the bed of our Prusa Mk4 - barely.
It's a 17-hour print. Yikes! I think I'll probably do this over the next week-end, otherwise my colleagues will kill me.
The support is mostly inside the toe box and promises to be a real b*tch to remove:
The shoe is very close-fitting, but I've left 2mm all around inside: if I mess up, or if the TPU shrinks like I think it will, it has a chance to remain wearable. If it doesn't, I'll simply put a sock on.
Stay tuned 🙂
All valid concerns, thank you for raising them: this hadn't crossed my mind.
But I'm not too concerned for the following reasons:
My current pair of pool shoes are commercial models I thermo-reformed with hot air (if you're interested in that process, I can post a video if you'd like). Pool shoes are made of vinyl: let me tell you, reforming vinyl at close to decomposing temperature is a nasty toxic fumes affair. Whatever drawbacks TPU may have can't be any worse for my health.
They'll be used mostly underwater in chlorinated water for a couple of hours per week tops.
My feet don't sweat much anymore.