En la actualidad, las personas tienen un ritmo de vida más apurado y pasan más tiempo de sus vidas fuera de sus casas por lo que se transportan con frecuencia. Este ritmo de vida hace que las personas se sientan cansadas y necesitan un momento de descanso. El uso de calzado como zapatos o tacos en el caso de las mujeres ocasiona que sus pies se sientan adoloridos y cansados por lo que genera una necesidad de poder sentirse más confortables al momento de caminar. Ante esta necesidad nace Fleets. Los Fleets son unas medias de algodón suave con las que las personas pueden caminar en interiores o exteriores de una manera cómoda. A diferencia de las medias convencionales, los Fleets se pueden usar sin zapatos debido a una suela de PVC que recubre la planta de los pies ante cualquier daño que se puede causar al pisar objetos con las medias. Del mismo modo, Los Fleets se diferencian de las zapatos convencionales o tacones debido a la portabilidad de los Fleets que se pueden guardar en la comodidad del bolsillo del pantalón. Son flexibles y cómodos con un diseño de vanguardia alineado a las nuevas tendencias. En el presente trabajo se desarrollará todo el proceso de desarrollo de este producto y de las estrategias utilizadas con respecto al modelo de negocio. Se desarrollarán los planes de marketing, Recursos humanos, Responsabilidad Social Empresarial, Operaciones y Financiero. También se evaluará la rentabilidad y viabilidad del proyecto, así como las reacciones del público objetivo a los Fleets a través del concierge. / Nowadays, people have a faster pace of life and spend more time in their lives outside their home so they are transported frequently. This rhythm of life makes people feel tired and need a moment of rest. The use of footwear such as shoes or heels in the case of women causes their feet to feel sore and tired, which creates a need to feel more comfortable when walking. Faced with this need, Fleets was born. Fleets are soft cotton socks with which people can walk indoors or outdoors in a comfortable way. Unlike conventional socks, Fleets can be worn without shoes due to a PVC sole that covers the soles of the feet in the face of any damage that can be caused by stepping on objects with the socks. Similarly, the Fleets differ from conventional shoes or heels due to the portability of the Fleets that can be stored in the comfort of the pants pocket. They are flexible and comfortable with a cutting-edge design aligned to new trends. In this work, the entire development process of this product and the strategies used with respect to the business model will be developed. Marketing, Human Resources, Corporate Social Responsibility, Operations and Financial plans will be developed. The profitability and viability of the project as well as the reactions of the target audience to Fleets through the concierge will also be evaluated. / Trabajo de investigación

[pt] A presente dissertação teve como objetivo analisar a transmissão de impacto de três diferentes modelos de um calçado militar por meio de sua influência na aceleração tibial. A variável pico de aceleração e as intensidades da frequência do sinal em determinadas faixas foram medidas no eixo vertical, por intermédio da técnica de acelerometria, visando caracterizar os coturnos quanto sua adequação ergonômica e biomecânica como ferramenta de trabalho para os militares. Dez (10) sujeitos caminharam numa esteira ergométrica em velocidade constante e padronizada, descalços e com três calçados diferentes. As variáveis foram medidas por meio de um acelerômetro capacitivo fixado sobre a pele, na tíbia, e o procedimento reavaliado em dois dias diferentes. Os valores encontrados apresentaram excelente confiabilidade. O valor médio de redução do pico de impacto mensurado na tíbia dos sujeitos utilizando os coturnos foi próximo de 50 por cento, em relação à situação descalço. Após a análise da média de pico da aceleração, os resultados encontrados não foram conclusivos quanto à diferença significativa de absorção de impacto entre os tipos de coturno, porém em conjunto com as avaliações de intensidades de faixas de frequência da transmissão do impacto, parece que o coturno comum apresentou melhor resultado. Existe a necessidade de novos estudos com outros equipamentos, como palmilhas instrumentadas e plataformas de força, para caracterização mais precisa dos calçados, bem como realizar testes de reavaliação de propriedades mecânicas após ciclos de desgastes dos calçados. / [en] The dissertation aimed to analyze the transmission of impact of three different models of a military boot through its influence on tibial acceleration. The variable peak acceleration, and the intensities of the signal in certain frequency bands, were measured on the vertical axis using accelerometer, in order to characterize the boots suitability as ergonomic and biomechanics tool for the military. Ten (10) subjects walked on a treadmill at constant and standard speed, barefoot and with three different shoes. The variables were measured using a capacitive accelerometer fixed to the skin on the tibia and the procedure reevaluated on two different days. The values found showed excellent reliability. The average reduction in peak impact measured in the tibia of the subjects using the boots was near 50 per cent, as compared to the barefoot. After analysis of the average peak acceleration, the results were not conclusive as to the significant difference in shock absorption between the types of boots. Studying the acceleration data in conjunction with assessments of intensities of frequency bands of the transmission of impact, it seems that the common buskin had the best result. There is a need for further studies with other equipment, such as instrumented shoe insoles and force platforms, for more precise characterization of the military boots as well as testing of mechanical properties after shoe degradation cycles.

Passive hallux adduction has been shown to decrease blood flow in the lateral plantar artery (LPA) in a non-weight-bearing condition. Further research in weight-bearing and shod conditions is necessary to explore relationships between altered blood flow and injury or tissue healing. However, measuring blood flow in a shod foot would require an alternate measurement location to accommodate footwear, such as the more proximal posterior tibial artery (PTA). PURPOSE: To determine changes in blood flow in the PTA and LPA subsequent to passive hallux adduction and to compare the observed changes between the two arteries. Second, to determine if measurement at the PTA is a viable surrogate for measurement at the LPA. METHODS: Forty-one subjects (21 males, 20 females) participated in this study (age 23.5 ± 4.5 years, body mass 72.6 ± 13.7 kg, and height 173.1 ± 10.2 cm). PTA and LPA vessel diameter and velocity were measured via doppler ultrasound (L8-18i transducer GE Logiq S8). LPA was imaged distal to the abductor hallucis and the PTA posterior to the medial malleolus. Each artery was measured for 120 s: 60 s at rest followed by 60 s of passive hallux adduction. PTA and LPA metrics were log transformed and compared using a two-way repeated measures ANOVA, then the log transformed data was assessed with paired t-tests and Bland-Altman plots (alpha = 0.05). RESULTS: There was an expected decrease in blood flow within each artery after passive hallux adduction (p < 0.001). The volume of blood flow differed between the arteries (p < .0001), but the change between baseline to first 5 cardiac cycles after hallux adduction was similar in each artery (p = 0.419). Bland-Altman analysis showed large spread limits of agreement, indicating the PTA underestimated or overestimated measurements at the LPA. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that PTA blood flow behaves in a similar manner as LPA blood flow in consequence to passive hallux adduction. There is no significant difference in the absolute change of blood flow during hallux adduction between the LPA and PTA. However, Bland-Altman analysis suggests that the PTA is not a direct surrogate for the LPA due to the large variance in flow between the arteries. Despite this, the PTA can still be a beneficial location of measurement for plantar blood flow. Some reasons are that the PTA has a larger diameter making it an easier artery to image and allows for further research implications due to its ease of access in more applicable circumstances, such as in a shod condition.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / The manufacturing specifications used by small leather and footwear businesses are neither up to date nor based on innovative production and new technologies. Consequently, their production times are higher, rendering them unable to sufficiently compete against other developed countries. Thus, this study seeks an innovative way to reduce times that do not add value to the product, such as reducing travel distances between stations, and proposes improving procedures for a better monitoring of the resources required. As a whole, this proposal focuses on designing a model to minimize the displacement of different processes. This practice is currently being implemented in the manufacturing sector, but not in the footwear sector. The proposal provides broad results, saving around 33% in transfer times and 85% in distance traveled in footwear production.

Running performance has increased immensely during the last few years, coinciding with multiple shattered world records in relatively short amount of time. Improvements in footwear material and design are likely reasons for this increase in running performance. Previous studies on the effect of footwear on running economy (RE), a determinant of running performance, have not included participant-blinding. Furthermore, they have yet to compare multiple carbon-fiber plated running shoes available for purchase, what differences there are across price ranges and shoe categories, and if there is such a thing as a placebo-effect. Aim: (1) Descriptively compare a set of heterogeneous running shoes, with regards to running economy, Foot Strike Type (FST), vertical oscillation, ground contact time, stride length and cadence; including (2) a ‘sham’ and ‘normal condition’ of the same running shoe model; and (3) explore the participant’s perception of the study-specific blinding protocol. Method: A Single Subject Experimental Study (N=1), comparing nine different shoe conditions using a crossover design. The assessment of RE was conducted using indirect calorimetry with mixing-chamber in a climate-controlled facility. Spatiotemporal parameters were assessed using a Garmin HRM-Run™, and foot strike type was visually assessed using a frame-by-frame approach based on 2D-video at 240 fps. Results: The average running economy across all shoe tests varied between 16.02 to 17.02 W/kg, with the ‘worst’ shoe costing 6.24% W/kg more than the ‘best’ shoe. The descriptive difference between the ‘sham’ and ‘normal condition’ were negligible and within the range of measurement error. Spatiotemporal parameters were overall descriptively similar between the shoes, with a few outliers who differed with regards to measure of central tendency or dispersion. FST differed between the shoes including the ‘sham’ and ‘normal condition’, but were overall consistent with the participant’s habitual FST. The study-specific blinding procedure was perceived to work well, but may also be improved in some remarks. Conclusion: Descriptive difference in some, but not all, physiological and biomechanical parameters were observed between the shoe conditions in this study, including the ‘sham’ and ‘normal condition’. Blinding procedures in experimental footwear research may be feasible and adopted with future studies.

Footwear impression evidence in dust is often difficult to locate in ambient light and is a fragile medium that both collection and enhancement techniques can destroy or distort. The collection of footwear impression evidence always begins with non-destructive photographic techniques; however, current methods are limited to oblique lighting of the impression followed by an attempt to photograph in situ12,15,17. For the vast majority of footwear impressions, an interactive collection method, and thus a potentially destructive procedure, is subsequently carried out to gather the evidence18. Therefore, alternative non-destructive means for the preservation and enhancement of footwear impressions in dust merits further attention. Previous research performed with reflected ultraviolet (UV) photography and reflected ultraviolet imaging systems (RUVIS) has shown that there are additional non-destructive methodologies that can be applied to the search for and documentation of footwear impressions in dust34,36,37. Unfortunately, these prior studies did not include robust comparisons to traditional oblique white light, instead choosing to focus on different UV wavelengths. This study, however, seeks to evaluate the use of a RUVIS device paired with a 254 nanometer (nm) UV light source to locate 2-D footwear impressions in dust on multiple substrates against standard oblique white light techniques and assess the visibility of the impression and amount of background interference present. The optimal angle of incident UV light for each substrate was also investigated. Finally, this study applied an image enhancement technique in order to evaluate its usefulness when looking at the visibility of a footwear impression and the amount of background interference present for enhanced white light and RUVIS pictures of footwear impressions in dust. A collection of eight different substrate types was gathered for investigation, including vinyl composition tile (VCT), ceramic tile, marble tile, magazine paper, steel sheet metal, vinyl flooring, wood flooring, and carpet. Heel impressions were applied to the various substrates utilizing vacuum collected dust and normal walking pressure. Each substrate was then explored and photographed in ambient fluorescent light, oblique white light at 0, 15, 30, and 0 with the light source below the surface plane of the substrate, and 254 nm UV light at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 and 0 with the light source below the surface plane of the substrate. All pictures were evaluated for clarity and visible detail of the footwear impression and the amount of background interference present, selecting for the best images within a lighting condition group. Additional intra- and intergroup comparisons were carried out to explore differences created by the various lighting conditions. Enhanced images were then created with the best scored pictures and evaluated for additional modifications in impression visibility and background interference. Photographs of footwear impressions in dust illuminated with ambient fluorescent light proved to be the most difficult conditions under which a footwear impression could be visualized. However, both oblique white light and 254 nm UV light lighting conditions showed improvements in either visualization or background dropout, or both, over ambient light conditions. An assessment of the white light and 254 nm UV light RUVIS images also demonstrated that the best angles for the light source for all substrates were oblique 0 and oblique 0 below the surface plane of the substrate lighting. It was found that white light photographs generally provided higher visibility ratings, while RUVIS 254 nm UV light photographs provided better grades for reducing background interference. Enhanced images of white light conditions provided generally poorer quality and quantity of details, while enhanced RUVIS images seemed to improve upon these areas. The use of a RUVIS to capture photographs of footwear impression evidence in dust was found to be a successful secondary non-destructive technique that can be paired with traditional oblique white light procedures. Additionally, the use of below the surface plane of the substrate lighting techniques were found to improve either visibility or background dropout, or both, over standard 0 oblique lighting, depending on the light source, and should be employed, when applicable. Finally, further investigation into digital photo-editing enhancement techniques for footwear impression evidence in dust is needed.

No description available.

The purpose of this study is three-fold: First, to use the foot as a site for a study of form, materials and joints. Second, to investigate the form by studying it as a transformable group of component parts. Last, to ask the question, how does a product become malleable and changeable in terms of intent,transportability and its relationship to the body? / Master of Science

Rocker profiles are one of the most commonly prescribed footwear modifications provided to individuals with impaired rollover. Impaired rollover is caused due to loss of neuromuscular function (i.e. stoke) or orthotic ankle constraint. When rollover is impaired, continued forward progression is interrupted and walking gait becomes less efficient (i.e. increased energy expenditure). Rocker profile footwear modifications are designed to mimic the functions of the anatomical ankle-foot rockers and provide its users with a smooth and efficient rollover. However, while there is theory governing the design of a rocker profile and subjective descriptions of rocker profile function, the extent to which a rocker profile footwear provides rollover has not yet been quantified. The aim of this study was to quantify effective and ineffective rollover and test whether our rocker profile provides effective rollover. We hypothesized that healthy subjects (n=4) walking with orthotic ankle constraint and the rocker profile (STOP) would have no change in rollover and energy expenditure outputs compared to walking with orthotic ankle free and rocker profile (FREE); but that healthy subjects (n=4) walking in STOP would have a change in rollover and energy expenditure outputs compared to walking with orthotic ankle constraint and no rocker profile (STOP-NR). To test this hypothesis, rollover was quantified as stance phase duration, cadence and radius of curvature and energy expenditure was quantified as heart rate and rating of perceived exertion. In addition to these outputs, we analyzed the ground reaction forces and duration of stance in early, middle and late stance period to determine the effects of the rocker profile footwear components. Through the rollover and energy expenditure outputs of the STOP, FREE and STOP-NR conditions, we quantified effective rollover as 0.29 (0.01) radius of curvature with a heart rate of 110.5(6.7) bpm and ineffective rollover as 0.69(0.12) radius of curvature with a heart rate of 131.5 (8.1) bpm. By creating this scale, we were able to determine that our rocker profile provided effective rollover (0.34[0.04] radius of curvature with a heart rate of 111.3[8.3] bpm). However, a future study with a greater sample size is needed to confirm these results.

There is an emerging consensus amongst economic policy makers that amongst the most important development problems facing South Africa today are the extremely high unemployment levels (estimated at 40% of the formal labour force) and the need to satisfy the basic needs of South Africa's population (ie, food, shelter, clothing and footwear etc). There is also agreement that in order to achieve these twin objectives it is necessary to obtain positive and increasing economic growth rates. The question of how these high and sustainable economic growth rates can be achieved has spawned an intense debate about South Africa's future growth path. This debate about South Africa's economic future after Apartheid is based on differing evaluations of the opportunities offered by the country's current resource endowments and the constraints inhibiting growth (Moll, 1991a, 1991b; Kaplinsky, 1991; Jordan, 1991, Levy, 1991). Some writers1 have argued that a low wage, labour intensive export strategy is the only way that South Africa can rapidly create employment and meet the needs of international competition (Moll, 1991a). Moll therefore argues that increasing the demand for unskilled labour will benefit the poor most. To compete successfully internationally on the basis of low wages (as Moll suggests) is only possible by increasing relative poverty, resulting in increases in absolute poverty, it has been argued (Kaplinsky, 1992). The recent literature (Amsden, 1989; Wade, 1990) on the success of the East Asian NICs (particularly South Korea and Taiwan) strongly refutes the neo-classical view (Little, 1979; Lai, 1983) that developing countries should grow by exploiting their static Comparative Advantage (CA), that is, exploiting the availability of abundant cheap labour. These writers (Amsden, 1989; Wade, 1990) argue that developing countries can move up the value added chain - making it possible for them to pay relatively higher wages - by selective intervention in the market A recent World Bank study (Levy, 1991) analyses the potential of South Africa's manufacturing sector to move on to a dynamic labour-demanding growth path. In analysing the potential of the Garment Sector (the most labour-intensive sector), Levy (1991) argues that South Africa's international comparative advantage lies in the mid- to-upper end of the world garment industry and expanding expons from this sector will increase employment and allow "moderate increases in real wages". In this paper we develop Levy's proposition - that a labour-demanding expon strategy is possible in South Africa for the Garment subsector - for the Footwear subsector. This study will focus on the Footwear subsector for the following reasons. This is a mature industry which is well-established in South Africa. It still remains labour-intensive and well suited like the garment subsector for a labour demanding growth strategy (Levy, 1992). It has a well developed infrastructure in South Africa. However the relative performance of this sector in comparison to that of countries at similar levels of development (the NICs) has been poor (discussed below). It is striking that Footwear has been a leading export sector for the most dynamic, Developing, as well as, Southern European economies during the 1970s and 1980s (Taiwan, Korea, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Portugal, China). Two sets of questions arise from the above discussion. Firstly, like the manufacturing sector as a whole, the performance of the South Afi can Footwear subsector has been unspectacular during the 1970s and 1980s. Why has ihis been so? What is the capability of the Footwear sector to supply the domestic market and to compete internationally ie, export? What are the implications of this for industrial policy? What incentives have been supplied to support the development of this sector and how effective have they been? What incentives will be required to advance the restructuring and development of this sector? What institutions exist in support of this industry and how can these institutions be developed and extended? Secondly, as South Africa develops a more outward oriented manufacturing strategy, it will have to understand the changing nature of international markets and international competition. How have these markets changed? What is the new basis of international competitiveness? What are the implications for South Africa? The objective of this study is to attempt to answer these two sets of questions. The second set of questions will not be answered in any detail in this study, but will draw extensively on a study undertaken by the author (see Ismail, 1992). Previous attempts at developing an analyses and strategy for the industry have been inward oriented (see Van Wyk's IDC Report, 1988) and ad hoc (BTI, 1990). Whilst Sid Cohn's Strat Plan 2000 has gone furthest in developing a systemic approach to the footwear industry, his focus on subcontracting as the main (labour) cost cutting measure has only served to gloss over the underlying inefficiencies of the industry in the management of raw materials and production. We provide a brief summary and critique of these strategies below before presenting a summary of our argument.