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Thread: Boot Lifts, Wedges & Fitting Aids-3D Printing

  1. #1
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    Boot Lifts, Wedges & Fitting Aids-3D Printing

    http://www.slidewright.com/Boot_Fitting/boot_lift_med_8mm_pr.png[/IMG]

    To download zipped STL files: Medium Heel Lift, 8mm
    Last edited by Alpinord; 12-15-2022 at 02:39 PM.
    Best regards, Terry
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  2. #2
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    Right on. I wound up needing a small side wedge last year to ease up on some pronation. It wasn’t super expensive but it was a pain waiting for shipping. Love this idea.

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    Killer idea, can these be used for hiking and trail running shoes also?
    watch out for snakes

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    Quote Originally Posted by ezramec View Post
    Right on. I wound up needing a small side wedge last year to ease up on some pronation. It wasn’t super expensive but it was a pain waiting for shipping. Love this idea.
    I've been using wedges for years too and was looking at a heel lift w/wedge idea.

    As you noted the costs of the boot fitting aids aren't an issue, it's availability and shipping. Or a slightly customized variation.

    For DIY printing I think the rub on all this will be working out the best material for printing. The wedges and lifts are made out of a dense rubber and for a one off print using a more flexible material than PLA, PETG, poly carbonate, nylon, or ABS can get pretty spendy unless there is a source for purchasing smaller quantities than a $50 spool.
    Best regards, Terry
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    Quote Originally Posted by SB View Post
    Killer idea, can these be used for hiking and trail running shoes also?
    Conceptually, they could be for anything, but talk about a rabbit hol....
    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alpinord View Post
    For DIY printing I think the rub on all this will be working out the best material for printing. The wedges and lifts are made out of a dense rubber and for a one off print using a more flexible material than PLA, PETG, poly carbonate, nylon, or ABS can get pretty spendy unless there is a source for purchasing smaller quantities than a $50 spool.
    TPU is inexpensive and easy to print with. I think its usually Shore 95A, which would be pretty darn hard if printed solid, but you can vary the infill until you get something that feels right.

    I have never thought I needed heel or toe lifts, so I wouldn't go out and buy sets to play with. But I am interested enough that I might print some to experiment to see if it helps or hurts my form.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MottN View Post
    TPU is inexpensive and easy to print with. I think its usually Shore 95A, which would be pretty darn hard if printed solid, but you can vary the infill until you get something that feels right.

    I have never thought I needed heel or toe lifts, so I wouldn't go out and buy sets to play with. But I am interested enough that I might print some to experiment to see if it helps or hurts my form.
    By varying the infill, you could probably just use PLA or PETG, but the perimeters would be rigid unless the design accounted for that somehow if that was needed. What material could be printed that could assimilate something like dense rubber or foam?

    Regarding form, I had an issue with trying to get more on an edge due pronation. Adding 6mm Varus wedges like ezramec pushed out the knees and made a HUGE improvement. Simple and effective. Just like experimenting with edge angles, base structuring, waxing, etc, you could easily play around with stances using different thicknesses and DIY fitting aids....or see a pro.
    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

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    I early on once I had an instructor point out I was back seat skiing after starting to learn more about boot fitting, insoles, etc. Then my solution was just get a pair of off the shelf Dr. Scholls foam heel pads for those boots. I then learned of a local guy that was doing custom insoles and when I had him do the Amfit I requested a 1/4 inch heel lift as part of that. I do not know what the Amfit material was back more than 10 years ago (EVA base material is listed today as one option on their web site), but it was more harder rubber than anything like the 3D printer filaments are out there and the process was the scan of my foot was used with a CNC to cut the instep and heel contours. Still use those same insoles today- with some more modifications on them as I have down sized from the 28.0 to 27.5 to now a pair of 26.5 shells.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alpinord View Post
    By varying the infill, you could probably just use PLA or PETG, but the perimeters would be rigid unless the design accounted for that somehow if that was needed. What material could be printed that could assimilate something like dense rubber or foam?
    TPU is a polyurethane plastic that will feel similar to a hard rubber. Its quite flexible when printed with sparse infill and quite dense/hard when printed with nearly solid. From McMaster's durometer chart 95A is here (most TPU is 95A, I think you can get more flexible stuff that is closer to 80A) , which would represent the model printed solid.
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    Quote Originally Posted by MottN View Post
    TPU is a polyurethane plastic that will feel similar to a hard rubber. Its quite flexible when printed with sparse infill and quite dense/hard when printed with nearly solid. From McMaster's durometer chart 95A is here (most TPU is 95A, I think you can get more flexible stuff that is closer to 80A) , which would represent the model printed solid.
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    Good info. Thanks. I need to read up more on TPU (and other) settings and using the material later, but for a quick look, the generic flex settings for slicing, the print would be 7 1/2hrs, vs 2 1/2 for PETG @ 10% infill for the following 'wedged-lifts' I might test drive tomorrow:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

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  11. #11
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    http://www.slidewright.com/Boot_Fitting/boot_lift_med_8mm_pr.png[/IMG]

    To download zipped STL files: Medium Heel Lift, 8mm[/QUOTE]

    This is a great idea, and it beats what I've been doing for 10 years, which is making my own varus-tilted insoles out of cut up cereal boxes.

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    We’ll see how this experiment plays out, but without changing settings, I changed the filament to TPU from PETG. I’ve been curious about ‘laminating’ different materials

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    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

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    Time will tell, but printing TPU over PETG is encouraging. 10% infill seems too soft, but the edge does compress.

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    http://www.slidewright.com/Boot_Fitting/varus_heel_lift_small.jpeg[/IMG]

    I did discover that PLA is more brittle, stiffer
    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

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  16. #16
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    Inspired by you I had my product design engineer girlfriend CAD up these wedges that I printed since I'm worthless at CAD.

    They work well but I think the ramp angle is probably too aggressive now (probably damages my cork footbed), might reduce height and add either tape on a varus wedge I have or include it in the design. The design was printed with PLA but I just got some PETG come in today. Sadly this year is weird for me and I probably won't be at the mtn for at least a month to iterate more

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  17. #17
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    Very cool. This is great, but wouldn't it be necessary/beneficial to also have a similar wedge for the toes?
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

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    Terry, I tried your traced templates into several boots I had easily accessible. The small fit well into a 26.5 Atomic backland pro and a 27.5 Roxa tour RX.
    The medium fit into my 28.5 ZGTP with slight trimming per the picture below.

    I will probably try printing some PETG/TPU hybrid as you did just to experiment with and see how they feel.
    Click image for larger version. 

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  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by schindlerpiste View Post
    Very cool. This is great, but wouldn't it be necessary/beneficial to also have a similar wedge for the toes?
    No.

    Toes are never wedged. At most drop in a bontex shim if there’s too much volume. Toes should be free wiggle in front of the metatarsal

    Heel wedges take up ankle volume but also change ramp angle.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by MottN View Post
    Terry, I tried your traced templates into several boots I had easily accessible. The small fit well into a 26.5 Atomic backland pro and a 27.5 Roxa tour RX.
    The medium fit into my 28.5 ZGTP with slight trimming per the picture below.

    I will probably try printing some PETG/TPU hybrid as you did just to experiment with and see how they feel.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Cool. It’d be great to get others providing this kind of feedback.


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    Terrylord.

    Do you think it wood be possible to 3D print boot boards?
    watch out for snakes

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    Boot Lifts, Wedges & Fitting Aids-3D Printing

    Basically, ‘if you can think it, you can make it’. If you give an idea of what you mean exactly, including a basis of dimensions, I can give it a whirl at some point, as I’m sure others can.

    The less geometric and more freeform an object gets, the more time, checks and balances are required. Also, adjusting to an array of sizes and other variables compounds the complexity further. I keep thinking in terms of 3d site surveying for freeform objects, where some kind of ‘benchmark’ needs to be established for a given object and to make changes or variations.

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    Tecnica zero G tour pro boot boards.

    Although replacements are $20 on the website.
    watch out for snakes

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    Any interest/thought about cuff spoilers? I know that lots of boots come with them/lots of people don't use them/there are potentially buckets of them lying around, but I am finding it difficult to source a pair after one of mine succumbed to a late night encounter with a pine marten. A universal shape in a couple different thicknesses would be sweet if it wasn't too much of a pain to produce.

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    Boot Lifts, Wedges & Fitting Aids-3D Printing

    Quote Originally Posted by SB View Post
    Tecnica zero G tour pro boot boards.

    Although replacements are $20 on the website.
    That looks like a bit of a project. To get it right,
    You’d need a pair in hand to measure for each size. I’d say buy ‘‘em for $20.

    https://skimo.co/tecnica-boot-boards...BoCIi4QAvD_BwE


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