More specifically, footwear is typically produced according to mass production orders placed by manufacturers whereby selected product designs are mass produced in various sizes and colors but no other variations or options beyond color and size are available to customers. By contrast, the addition of custom design to commercial footwear production would allow individual customers to request products on a per-unit basis that incorporate their specific color patterns, choice of materials, and elements of design to suit the specific needs and preferences of individual customers on a per unit basis. The concept of mass customized product manufacturing has been made possible by the recent advances in computer technology and improvements in the capabilities of computer-based automatic production processes used to manufacture consumer goods. In principle, mechanisms such as 3-D printing now allow end-users...

That process has already been incorporated by several clothing manufacturers to allow customers to custom-design jean pants, as well as footwear. In that regard, Nike, a perpetual global footwear industry leader has already provided mechanisms to allow their customers to design various aspects of preference into their footwear product line with considerable success.
More generally, there is insufficient research to determine whether the concept of mass produced custom footwear is already a viable opportunity for smaller manufacturers. This research project is intended to investigate the level of consumer demand for mass produced custom footwear. It will consist of primary research in the