Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
non-lame halfbakery tagline

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


                 

Please log in.
Before you can vote, you need to register. Please log in or create an account.

Footwear

How to have a fit in your footwear
  (+2)
(+2)
  [vote for,
against]

Thesis : Non-stitched flexible gloves can be made by dipping a dummy hand in and out of a liquid, e.g. pre-cured rubber latex. Successive dips thicken the glove which is then peeled off the dummy hand.

Hypothesis : A real foot treated the same way in a suitable latex should, cheaply, lead to producing perfectly fitting shoes or boots ready for attaching soles etc,

Conclusion : Forget it. It'd never work. In any case, rapidly developing stereolithography will be able do it infinitely better. The name of these new personalised shoes? SoftFootWare of course.

rayfo, Nov 01 2000

Ebay auction for blue liquid latex. http://cgi.ebay.com...Item&item=487989862
[StarChaser, Nov 01 2000]

[link]






       Would likely be expensive, but shouldn't be insurmountably difficult. Would have to make casts, as sticking feet into hot latex could hurt, and you wouldn't want individual toe-holes anyway...Run them thought six or eight times, and stitch on some heavy rubber soles.
StarChaser, Nov 03 2000
  

       Latex is actually not heated for most applications of this type. It's actually applied at room temperature and allowed to dry, so there'd be no problem with getting a latex burn or whatever.   

       You would have a possible problem with friction- ever try to put your wet hand in a rubber glove? Also, latex doesn't breathe like fabric does, so you'd have more problems with perspiration. This might be merely uncomfortable in some cases, but you could be risking serious fungus infection and- even worse- seriously awful foot odor!   

       Latex is also not very durable, so you'd need some pretty heavy-duty soles as well, like StarChaser suggested.   

       The casts are an interesting idea. You could also use them to give to someone who is buying you shoes or boots for a gift. It would cut down on having to return a pair of non-fitting shoes (which happens to me every Christmas).
BigThor, Nov 03 2000
  

       BigThor: Duh...I knew that...<swats typist AGAIN>...You can buy cans of liquid latex for paint-on bodysuits...Dunno whether it'd be useful as shoes, though...   

       And you're right about the footfunk, would probably have to get the EPA to remove them...
StarChaser, Nov 04 2000
  

       Any decent adult toystore will have it. Do a search for 'liquid latex' on Ebay and you'll find a bunch too. Someone I used to know said she'd used it once and it was a lot of fun, until it completely dried and started cracking.   

       I've put up a link to an Ebay auction that shows it off pretty well.
StarChaser, Nov 05 2000
  

       The category for the above auction is:   

       EverythingElse-Clothing-Men-Accessories-General+   

       Doesn't seem to match the picture, at all <evil laugh>.....
BigThor, Nov 06 2000
  

       <grins> I didn't even look at the category, because people don't pay much attention. I just did a search for 'liquid latex'...   

       On the other hand, gotta say that lots of men would appreciate that picture...
StarChaser, Nov 06 2000
  

       All this way and no real negatives. Wow.
rayfo, May 27 2001
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle