In the this 3DShoemaker post, I’m going to get into the most unusual of shoe lasts, the climbing shoe last. Whether you’re looking to design climbing shoes anew or resole old ones, I’ll explain how you can order climbing shoe lasts on 3DShoemaker.com, both as physical 3D prints and digital models. I’ll also explain how the design can be adjusted using the parametric model in the 3DShoemaker design software.
If you aren’t familiar with climbing shoe shapes in the first place, you might wonder if these were for some kind of rare foot deformity or perhaps for something akin to foot binding. But in reality, the downturned toe is essential to pre-positioning the foot and shoe for grasping the most minimal of rocky outcroppings as the wearer ascends vertical cliffs. Another name for this downturn is camber. In the 3DShoemaker design software, camber is achieved via a combination of positive heel height and negative toe spring.
In addition to camber, climbing shoe lasts also have more asymmetry than common shoe lasts. This is best seen from the top or bottom view, where the toe box sweeps to the medial side of the shoe last, ending more directly in front of the big toe. This asymmetry leads to a narrow front tip of the sole that also helps reach into rocky crevasses and make contact with greater precision.
Climbing shoes come with variety of asymmetries and cambers, with higher degrees of both lending themselves to more technically advanced climbing shoes. Here on 3DShoemaker, there are three varying degrees of camber and asymmetry each, and so nine different climbing shoe lasts in total. These variations can be selected via the ‘Asymmetry and Camber’ option at the bottom of the ordering form.
Another distinctive feature that is common in many climbing shoe lasts is the foot shaped bottom, which allows the sole of the shoe to closely hug the heel and arch of the foot. This option can be toggled in the design adjustments section of the ordering form under ‘Foot Shaped Bottom’. And beneath that is the option to remove the sharp edge on the bottom of the shoe last known as the ‘Feather Edge’. With climbing shoe lasts, usually the feather edge is only removed behind the ball, as the toe box of the shoe should have a sharp edge for precise contact of the sole with rock surfaces. If using the parametric model in the 3DShoemaker plugin, these settings can be turned on in the Options form.
The ordering form contains many other adjustments that are relevant for climbing shoe lasts. For instance, if a camber other than the three standard options is needed, then this can be specified via the heel height and toe spring options in the design adjustments section. And there are also numerous fit adjustments available.
All of this along with a huge range of sizes and widths should be enough to get a climbing shoe last similar enough to any given climbing shoe for resoling purposes. Note though that there is inconsistency in sizing between climbing shoe brands. So to see if a shoe last will work for your climbing shoes, it’s best to carefully study the measurements via the ‘Show Measurements’ option (these are for the default medium camber medium asymmetry climbing shoe last) and perhaps the free insole patterns too, available in the link in the ‘Patterns’ section of the ordering form.
If the climbing shoe last is not for resoling but rather for shoemaking, then it might be helpful to get customized measurements. This can be done by selecting the ‘Custom’ order type and providing the required shoe last measurements, or ‘Bespoke’ if wanting to supply foot measurements or even a 3D foot scan.
As I mentioned earlier, the 3DShoemaker climbing shoe last can be ordered as a physical 3D printed pair of lasts or a digital 3D model in stl format. If it is a physical print, then it comes standard with a fixed rail joining the front and back parts. But you could of course also order it with a joint that opens. The 3D printed version does come standard with a metal thimble so the plastic doesn’t break when on a lasting pin. If it is the digital model you are ordering, then it is just a solid model with no joint or thimble feature designs, but these can be specified in the ordering form.
Then there is of course the option for a fully parametric climbing shoe last model which can be used in the 3DShoemaker plugin for Rhinoceros 3D. That is what I have been using to demonstrate some of the unique features of the climbing shoe last in this post. If you happen to be looking to develop a new line of climbing shoes, a tool such as this allows for a much more scientific approach to developing the perfect shape.
If you have any feedback at all on this climbing shoe last design and ordering system, please provide it in the comments below. Thank you for reading.
