Method and apparatus for use in making custom shoes

Apparatus for determining surface coordinates of a foot, from which a custom shoe can be made, comprising:

• a base for receiving a foot, and defining an inspection position over said base;
• means for generating a beam of light;
• means for scanning said beam in a predetermined pattern over the surface of a foot at the inspection position;
• a position detector for detecting the light beam reflected from the foot;
• means for determining surface coordinates of the foot as a function of the output of the detector;
• and
• means for storing the determined surface coordinates;
• whereby a custom shoe can be made having a shape that depends on the stored surface coordinates of the foot.

A method for obtaining coordinates of the surface of a foot, from which a shoe can be made, comprising the steps of:

• placing a foot at an inspection position;
• directing a light beam at the foot;
• scanning the light beam in a predetermined pattern over the surface of the foot;
• detecting, at a position detector, the light beam reflected from the foot;
• determining surface coordinates of the foot as a function of the detector output;
• and
• storing the determined surface coordinates;
• whereby said coordinates can be used in making a shoe having a shape which depends on the stored coordinates.