Trends in the Design and Manufacture of Footwear

There are many new challenges facing the footwear industry as they seek to gain a technological advantage to offset the lower cost of production from the Pacific Rim. In fact, the use of technology in footwear is a very recent trend. There are many different approaches to the use of technology in footwear, and this panel seeks to highlight some of the issues involved and to raise the level of discourse in this important field. In addition to the manufacturing challenges within the industry, there are other critical new questions that are being discussed.