The Problem
Patients with diabetes often need to wear special shoes to protect their feet from dangerous ulcers which can lead to amputation and even death. Unfortunately, current manufacture methods limit the fit and style of these shoes significantly - patients wait weeks or months for custom shoes, only to find they are not what they expected to receive, aren't comfortable and are often too ugly to wear regularly. Patients are embarrassed to wear the shoes, so compliance is low and this has large negative implications for the clinical management of their condition. The NHS alone spends £1 billion/year on diabetic foot care - we knew there had to be a way we could help.
The Solution
By applying Polymorphic Moulding to the manufacture of sole units for custom-made footwear, we can make better fitting, more aesthetically pleasing shoes for patients. Where it was previously impossible to create sole units out of certain materials to fit non-standard feet, we have made this possible. Patients love the look and feel of their shoes, and their clinicians love their increased enthusiasm for wearing them. In the long term, we are collecting data to evidence how wearing Fyous shoes can improve clinical outcomes.
This is just a small part of what Polymorphic Moulding can do. We know there are many other applications and opportunities out there to improve manufacturing processes and even people's lives.
