Question 1

Where is my order?

Accepted Answer

Lead time is shown on your order receipt. Please avoid inquiring about order status unless one business day more than stated lead time has passed.

Question 2

What shoe size should I order and what are the measurements? Or should I order custom or bespoke?

Accepted Answer

Update: Shoe last outlines are now available to help with shoe sizing. They are available here and you can learn more about them here.

Shoe sizing is inconsistent from one brand to another, so it can be difficult to know your shoe size. We follow what we believe to be the most widely accepting sizing. All measurements for shoe lasts can be viewed via the 'show measurements' check box on the ordering form. And the insole patterns for standard sized orders can also be viewed prior to purchase here. Note that we no longer provide shoe last sizing recommendations based on foot measurements alone. This is because the shapes of the foot and shoe last also have an impact on what size is best (along with many other factors). A tracing could help us make a recommendation, but by the time we start inputting measurements and analyzing tracings and comparing to specific shoe last designs, we’re well along the path of the full bespoke process. So we tend to just suggest bespoke lasts unless you are familiar with what shoe size typically works best for you. Our 'Custom' order type, on the other hand, is for supplying shoe last measurements rather than foot measurements and is usually used by higher volume shops with experience working with allowances. More on our ordering system is explained here. And customers with an interest in sizing might consider reading the following resources which could help them decide on a shoe last size on their own:

viewing our collection of insole patterns

measuring girths

tracing the foot and taking measurements

adding allowances to foot measurements

Question 3

How much do your products cost? What about for custom shoe lasts and size runs (volume discounts)?

Accepted Answer

The best way to see pricing is to add items to your cart. All prices get updated based on your selections. For instance, choosing a bespoke or custom shoe last from the level of customization drop down affects cost. When ordering size runs (add various sizes of a style to your cart), discounts get applied automatically once items are in your cart.

Quantity discounts get applied after items get added to your cart and are as follows (per item, not cart):
2-5: 5%
6-10: 10%
11-15: 15%
16-20: 20%

Question 4

There is an issue with my order, what can be done (wrong size, fit, or quality issue)?

Accepted Answer

Please see our ordering policies here.

Question 5

Can you help me with a project I am working on?

Accepted Answer

I get a wide variety of requests for assistance on shoemaking projects, ranging from hobbyist to R&D for businesses of all sizes. My one size fits all solution is consulting/training via web conferencing for an hourly rate. For the hobbyists etc. out there, I do apologize if this hourly rate is beyond your budget for your current project. I do hope that the services I offer for individuals, the Personal edition of the 3DShoemaker software, and the various free tutorials and YouTube videos I've created will help you with your project.

Question 6

Is 3DShoemaker available on Mac and other languages besides English? What about as a plugin for other software besides Rhino?

Accepted Answer

3DShoemaker is only available for Rhino on Windows and only in English. There currently are no plans to change this.

Question 7

Can I import shoe lasts I have 3D models for?

Accepted Answer

You can't import external shoe last CAD models exactly. What you can do is put them on a temporary layer and then adjust a 3DShoemaker template until it is a reasonable match. This is a time consuming process. But once you have a template you like, creating a coherent library of templates is more straightforward than with other shoe last software programs.

Question 8

I'm encountering issues getting 3DShoemaker installed and building my first model, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

General Things to Solve Issues:

 	Try running Rhino in English language mode. While the goal is for 3DShoemaker to work for all languages, there are still some issues when in non-English mode. In some cases, a re-install of Rhino has proven necessary to get it fully running in English mode.
 	3DShoemaker requires that your computer is set to treat periods as decimal points. If it is set to commas, this will cause issues. To switch to periods, go to Regions/Additional Settings on your windows computer and set it here. This will should the error of wrong units or scale.
 	Avoid zeros for the various parameters. Zero values essentially tell 3DShoemaker that you are working with a template that was developed in an older version of the plugin that did not have that parameter. The workaround is to use a number close to zero, like 0.1 for instance.
 	Set Microsoft Windows including keyboard settings to English. This may not always be necessary, but if you are encountering issues, it could be due to language settings.
 	Reinstall 3DShoemaker. If you are encountering issues with the installation, it's a good idea to try reinstalling (uninstall the install) 3DShoemaker.
 	When having trouble using templates, try first rebuilding and resaving the template. Sometimes software updates may change parameterization techniques and a rebuild is required.
 	Review the YouTube videos. There is an extensive set of YouTube videos that, if you follow along closely, may solve your problem.

Question 9

Can you explain how to do something teach me something about using the software?

Accepted Answer

The support included with the plugin license purchase only encompasses support installing and building a first shoe last. Beyond that, training/consulting services are available on a paid hourly basis. There is also an extensive array of YouTube tutorials on how to use the software.

Question 10

Models are getting stuck where I can't edit parameters, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

First try to rebuild the model. You may need to press the pause button. In some cases, you might be able to undo some parameter changes via Control-Z and then rebuild. If this doesn't work, then one recovery technique is to build a new shoe last using the failed last as a template for the new build, making sure to set the primary measurements to the desired values.

Another thing to check is the viewport name. The perspective view gets renamed to the view currently being edited, and some errors might prevent this from returning to perspective. If this happens, try manually renaming the view back to perspective (right click the view name and set view to perspective).

In general, it is important to save regularly, possibly using the incremental save feature in Rhino. Also, it is important that the model is working well before saving. This can be ensured by doing a Rebuild before saving.

Question 11

The side panel buttons have become greyed out, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

If ever you run into the situation where the buttons on the side panel are stuck in a disabled state, press the Pause button to re-enable them and then possibly the Rebuild button to get things going again.

Question 12

How do I report a bug?

Accepted Answer

The best way to report a bug is to provide a copy of the 3DM file (should not be saved in editing mode) prior to the bug occurring and then make a video of the steps taken that cause the bug to happen. This will allow for replication of the bug so that it can be fixed. Frequent saving will provide an opportunity to provide this kind of bug reporting.

Question 13

When editing the last is so tiny I can't see it or the dimensions appear to big, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

In options/annotation styles change the model scale space to 1. When creating new documents, always choose the No Template option. Or if that doesn't work, choose scale small and units mm.

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