Abstract: A shoe assembly includes a base shoe (10), a removable outsole (25) and a removable cover (22). The base shoe (10) is defined by a skeleton insole (11) having a lower surface, a heel component (12), and an upper (13) rising from the periphery of the skeleton insole (11). The upper (13) defines a foot-retaining element. The removable outsole (25) is connected to the skeleton insole (11) to overlie the lower surface thereof. There is a releasable mechanism having a first part on the skeleton insole (11) and a second part on the outsole (25) to interconnect the two. The removable cover (22) is for the upper (13), and fits over the base shoe (10) to overlie the foot-retaining element. The cover (22) has a sole region provided with a sole opening for accommodation of the releasable mechanism interconnecting the outsole (25) with the skeleton insole (11). The cover (22) also has a heel opening (23) through which at least a part of the heel component (12) passes.

Abstract: A composite material (10) with electrostrictive properties for a mechanical energy recovery device (100) where said composite material comprises a deformable portion (12) in insulating elastomeric polymer material and a filler material (14) homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix of said deformable (12) portion, said material or filler (14) being an insulating ceramic material in the form of particles. The invention also concerns said device (100) for the recovery of mechanical energy (100).

Abstract: A shoe assembly comprises a base shoe (10), a removable outsole (25) and a removable cover (22). The base shoe (10) is defined by a skeleton insole (11) having a lower surface, a heel component (12), and an upper (13) rising from the periphery of the skeleton insole (11). The upper (13) defines a foot-retaining element. The removable outsole (25) is connected to the skeleton insole (11) to overlie the lower surface thereof. There is a releasable mechanism having a first part on the skeleton insole (11) and a second part on the outsole (25) to interconnect the two. The removable cover (22) is for the upper (13), and fits over the base shoe (10) to overlie the foot-retaining element. The cover (22) has a sole region provided with a sole opening for accommodation of the releasable mechanism interconnecting the outsole (25) with the skeleton insole (11). The cover (22) also has a heel opening (23) through which at least a part of the heel component (12) passes.

Abstract: A composite material (10) with electrostrictive properties for a mechanical energy recovery device (100) where said composite material comprises a deformable portion (12) in insulating elastomeric polymer material and a filler material (14) homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix of said deformable (12) portion, said material or filler (14) being an insulating ceramic material in the form of particles. The invention also concerns said device (100) for the recovery of mechanical energy (100).

Abstract: A method for calculating the geometry of a last for customised footwear includes the following steps: collection in a data base of 3D models of lasts, creation of a grid of lasts having different measurements in terms of length and of fitting, acquisition of a 3D model of a foot, identification of a sub-set of at least two lasts having measurement parameters close to those of the foot, deformation of the 3D model of the foot to follow the course of the 3D last model, identification of some areas of interest of the 3D model of the foot, deformation of the 3D model of each of the lasts selected in the areas of interest so as to compensate for differences between the 3D model of the last and the 3D model of the foot and selection, on the basis of the residual errors, of the final last to be reproduced.