Fri Dec 20 23:42:09 CET 2024

As a young boy, growing up in Schweinfurt, Germany, in the 1980's footwear was something important.  I remember
wanting these "tiger shoes".  I believe they were a franconian brand made at a "schuster" at the Bauerngasse
Street near the level of the Roxy Cinema theater (but on the other side).  These Tiger shoes had an awesome
profile on the bottom but instead I wore shoes from Salamander shoestores and not Tigers.  However the story
was rekindled this year when I was brainstorming around getting good footwear to walk around these
Schweinfurt streets which are notorious for having good roads but badly maintained sidewalks.

Back in the 1980's a Schuster was a profession for someone who made shoes, in fact the english term is
a "shoemaker" I believe.  The profession in europe was pretty much done for in the followups of the
industrial revolution (in all it's four generations), however technology may allow a resurgency of this
profession.  Meet the new digital Schuster.

Imagine going to the Schuster's and getting a 3D model of your foot.  The scan would be done by means of
LIDAR a typical component of automotive ranging and modelling with AI.  It is a laser scan.  
This scan takes about 5-10 minutes and creates a 3D model of your foot able to access in a CAD/CAM process.  
Remember CAD/CAM?  It is computer aided design/manufacturing.  Once the professional has made a digital image of
your foot, a computer controlled 3D print of your new Tiger shoes can be made, custom fitted.  A week later
you pick up your new "Tiger shoes" which are a perfect fit.

The concept is bringing the profession back into the old profession and with the computer age is able to
compete with companies such as Clarke's shoes, Adidas and Nike.  A schuster is a up to date, proper profession 
again.  I would like to pick up my personal set of Tiger shoes at a Schuster before the decade ends, perhaps
someone in town is an aspiring CAD/CAM, AI and new materials expert with family backgrounds of a Schuster.
Perhaps your family even still has rights to the Tiger shoe trademark.  This idea is for you, your families
profession which most likely died in the 1990's.  I would like you to be back personally.

-pjp