A digital twin is a digital model of an intended or actual real-world physical product (its physical twin) that serves as the effectively indistinguishable digital counterpart of it for practical purposes.

In the context of footwear manufacturing, the digital twin of a shoe is the assembly of the pattern engineering data, tooling 3D model, automation and generative information for the product.

The hidden cost of a physical sample

A common misconception in the footwear industry is that physical samples are cheaper and indispensable compared to digital twins. This belief stems from cases where digital engineering is outsourced, making the claim partially true. While physical samples may have lower initial costs, their expenses increase with each design iteration.

Completely new way of building shoes can emerge when the digital approach is brought to the table. A similar debate occurred in the 1990s with the shift from paper patterns to digital tools. Initially resisted due to perceived costs and complexity, the advantages became clear as software improved, enabling faster and more iterative designs. Today, while many industry leaders benefit from digital twins, some remain resistant to change, stuck in traditional processes.

The digital twin serves two functions, the first is to be a hub for the intellectual property of the shoe. The second is a hub of all the production and engineering information of the shoe.

Any change that is performed in any of the other parts of the process (i.e. patterns and 3d models) should be reflected into the digital twin and that should serve as the reference for the construction of the shoe. Using Rhino with Botcha and Jevero this became not only possible but easy and accessible.