From 3D-scan to a full custom made inline-skate boot in just 6 weeks!

A new pair of ready-to-go custom-made boots in six weeks, which will fit better than ever; we can do it! Using advanced software and thanks to a collaboration with orthopedic specialists and five retailers, Cádomotus can deliver a high-end skate boot. Fast and efficient. This is how it works.

No plaster | Orthopedics | 3D Foot Scan | Fast Delivery | Speed Skating Specialist | Where to scan?

Not that long ago, traditional custom shoe builders were using plaster to mold skaters' feet in order to make lasts for custom-fit shoes for inline speed skates or ice speed skates. It wasn’t very convenient. Using plaster can be messy, for example. And as a customer, you had to find and go to a custom shoemaker. Or you had to be lucky that one showed up at a tournament to make a shoe last for you at the spot. On a good day, he could make about fifteen plaster casts, which had to be shipped off to a workshop to make a positive mold.

A scan instead of plaster

It is not a surprise that you had to wait for half a year, or sometimes even a year, to finally be able to use your new boots. Custom shoemaking is a time-consuming business, and scaling up isn’t easy. Shoemakers could use more people to make plaster casts, but it could affect the quality. The person who makes the casts has a defining role in the shoe-making process.

It is a precise job. How tight do you need to wrap a foot? A foot has 32 small bones and is very flexible. Everybody has a different method, with different results. There have been experiments with scan software in the past, but it was cumbersome, expensive and it had all kinds of teething problems.

Collaboration with ProReva orthopaedists

But it is possible now: scale increase, faster production, and high precision shoe lasts with better boots as a result. It is very simple but very effective: we use an iPad with advanced scan software to make a scan of the foot, followed by a correction by an experienced specialist who prepares the digital last for production. The factory can start right away and a few weeks later your boot is ready.

All of this is the result of a unique partnership with ProReva: orthopedic instrument makers with years of expertise in custom-made prosthetics and orthotic devices, like shoes. For a few years now, ProReva works with advanced scan software, which makes their devices more refined and better accessible.

In the past two years, Cádomotus and ProReva have developed a protocol that focuses on inline skate boots. The know-how of Cadomotus to make high-end inline skate boots, combined with the knowledge of ProReva on how to adapt scans and their orthopedic experience, makes for a very successful partnership

3D-scan in 15 seconds

The processing and protocol are crucial in this case. What position do the skaters have to be in, what is the position of the knee? How much pressure has to be on the foot? These are a few important standard conditions. The scan itself is very simple: the inline skate specialist walks around your foot for about 15 seconds, and the 3D file will be sent to ProReva.

Digital processing of the foot scan

At ProReva specialists will take a closer look at the scan. It might be a precise scan, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The last has to be smoothed out, you need some extra space in the heal to make room for the Achilles tendon. And while at some spots you don’t want to create too much pressure, in other spots you need the fit to be snug – to enclose and support the foot.

Custom boots available for everyone

Finally, the mold is digitally modified, with a snug-fitting last as a result. The final touches were normally done by hand, which would take a day's work, but are now all done digitally in an hour. And the end result is also more precise.

After the modification, the file will be sent to Asia. The last is made there and we will be building our boot like every other Cádomotus one-piece shoe, but with this unique last as starting point. This way we can easily make thirty pairs of boots a day, an amount that is higher than any other custom-made shoe supplier can realize. This is how we can make custom boots available for a lot of people, without the usual waiting lists.

Consultation results in a great shoe

To make a custom boot, you still need specialists. Different types of riders, ask for a different kind of approach. A competitive rider has different needs than a recreational skater.

A race boot needs to have a snug fit, but a recreational skater who is skating for fun often prefers a little bit more room in their boots. This is where our inline representatives who do the 3D scanning come into the picture. After consultation with them, you will get a boot with the perfect fit for you, without having to wait for it for a long time.

Where can I get a scan for custom-made shoes?

We are currently building a global network of specialists who have the knowledge and equipment to do 3D scanning. Are you interested in representing Cádomotus and selling our custom boots, please contact us?

At this moment, you can get a 3D scan at the following inline-skate specialists:

Netherlands
Den Haag - OomsSport
Haastrecht - Dave van Dam Sport
Vorden - Freewheel
Wezep - Cadomotus
Zaltbommel - Stehmann Sport

Germany
Rollenshop/Markus Pape - Der Rollenshop

Czech Republic
Matej Krupka - Inlinespeed.cz

Australia
Neil Jesberg - Red Distribution

USA
Kelly Springer/Cadomotus Americas on Facebook

China
Yoyo skate - Cadomotus China

Bolivia
Leonid Parfenyev - Patinhouse