The footwear design and manufacturing process enter a new phase when footwear production cycles become shorter than usual. Clients not only expect a shorter lead time but at the same time acquire different styles, comfort, and good fit. In terms of orthopedic footwear, typically, it takes several weeks or sometimes even longer to manufacture them. One of the most critical time factors here is the custom fabrication lasts, made according to the client's foot, to create personalized shoes. The production of footwear can reduce this lengthy approach strongly with the help of 3D additive manufacturing. Optimized fitting accuracy represents a further advantage, especially in orthopedics production. Companies are starting to adjust 3D technologies to design and develop footwear production throughout the product cycle. Footwear design development is basing on 3D design software that enables changes of the 3D shoe heel and functional properties of footwear for severe foot deformities and disorders. In addition to footwear's available properties, creative design based on 3D allows quick design modification and visualization. The final design of shoes is manufacturing by combining traditional manufacturing techniques.

The aim of the study is to analyze the possibilities of quickly and accurately designing heels for orthopedic footwear according to individual dimensions, to search for the most suitable the study of the possibilities of using different polymers and methods. This work focuses on 3D printed footwear heel using SLS and FDM technology and different thermoplastic materials, as PA12, ABS, and PLA. Data analysis and research results of compression tests were compared with results of theoretical modeling tasks. The theoretical prediction results of compressive loads and ultimate strength are consistent with simulations and experimental results.