ABSTRACT

To adapt to global competitive pressures, European footwear industry must develop methods and innovative enabling technologies toward a personalized, customer-oriented, and eco-efficient manufacturing (Bischoff et al. 2010). To this end, the vision hereinafter presented strives to put forward a new production paradigm: sustainable mass customization in footwear, presenting customization as one of the main driving forces to achieve effective sustainability. Indeed, manufacturing is growing beyond the economic context, into a social and ecological phenomenon, both from the side of the end user and from the side of governments who, guided by increased customer eco-consciousness, are expected to further

33.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 673 33.2 Mass Customization, Sustainability, and Their Link ................................... 674

33.2.1 Mass Customization ......................................................................... 674 33.2.1.1 ITEM 1: Customer Codesign ............................................. 674 33.2.1.2 ITEM 2: Meeting the Needs of Each Individual

Customer ......................................................................... 676 33.2.1.3 ITEM 3: Stable Solution Space .......................................... 677 33.2.1.4 ITEM 4: Adequate Price ....................................................680