Mass Customization in Footwear Industry: A Case Study

This project examines the concept of mass customization within the footwear industry, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities it presents for manufacturers. The study focuses on the implementation of mass personalization, where customers seek a wide variety of goods at competitive prices. The project analyzes the Alpina configuration program as a case study, detailing its approach to shoe design and production. Alpina uses optical foot scanners to gather customer-specific data and offer a high degree of product preference while maintaining a streamlined development cycle through a postponement model. The project delves into the evolution of footwear manufacturing, from mass production to customized options, including Adidas and Nike's customization models and Rockport's multi-width shoe offerings. It explores Alpina's methods, including 3D foot scanning, and the resulting benefits and drawbacks of implementing mass customization, such as enhanced product fit and customer involvement, alongside challenges related to inventory management and production costs. The project highlights the importance of adapting production processes, like the shift from 'to forecast' to 'to order', to meet the demands of individualized product requirements.