Hi,

New to composites and would like some advice

I'm looking to achieve something similar to Adam Hansen's 'Hanseeno' cycling shoes - here's a video with him talking about them: https://cyclingtips.com/2014/05/adam-hansens-custom-shoes/

I've ordered a started kit and some unidirectional sheets from easycomposites and I've got a vague idea where to start.

I'm most worried about keeping the uppers flexible enough (Hansen talks about using a different resin there for this reason), and joining different parts to make a whole if I construct the shoes in sections.

Thanks
Luke

You could try a flexible resin such as our EF80 Flexible Epoxy Resin 


Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

Hi Mircea,

yes, it worked quite well with a couple of layers of twill - the material was a good flexibility but held the right shape well

I still haven't arrived at a pair of working shoes yet though. Consolidation is proving difficult (a foot is a difficult shape to vacuum bag) and I think I'm going to have to produce a few more molds.

I'd be interested to hear how you're getting on?

hi Luke!

wow, didn't expect you to reply so fast :-)

i did nothing yet, i still collect info. i have this in mind for about one year. i really hope i'll do it. i have very wide feet, narrow heels, low volume feet, etc, and very-to-impossible to find shoes. that's why thinking to build my own shoes.

yup, at first it looked easy, then hard, then easy, and then hard... so in the end it's not that easy to hand made custom shoes... but, still, i think we can do it :-)

i am thinking the same, to build the upper part of the shoes with fabric (carbon/kevlar) and this special EF80 resin.

weirdly, very very very little info, like really nothing out there, about this EF80 product.

glad to hear that "it worked quite well" ;-)

i am curious about couple aspects, once you have fabric laminated with this EF80:
- has it like a rubber characteristics, like rubber to touch?
- how can you cut it and make holes into it? like normal, easy, or...?
- how can you bond it to other materials, bond it to regular cured carbon fiber part? i've read that it's very hard to do that since not possible to sand, so not possible to make a mechanical bond.

thank you & best regards,
Mircea

Yeah I've got quite square toes, and wide ish forefeet, so I always end up in shoes that are too long and pinch my smallest toe a bit. The length means the cleats are never quite right and the arch support is too far forward. 

It's definitely a difficult project though. Feet are a totally awkward shape.

The flexible resin isn't rubbery, it's just like normal epoxy really , only more flexible. I wouldn't bother with kevlar either, I don't really see what it offers you over carbon apart from abrasion resistance, which given you're probably riding around in lycra isn't a big deal. It cuts pretty much like any other cured carbon/epoxy composite, maybe a bit easier. I should think it bonds fine to cured carbon, although I'd guess it would be better to bond the parts before full cure, so you get a chemical as well as a mechanical bond. You can sand it to key the surface.

One of the guys from easy composites should be able to advise about mixing the resins in the same layup.

The really hard part is making the patterns/molds in the right way - I'm not there yet

yup, agree, difficult project, feet are a totally awkward complex shape.

yup, good point about kevlar. we ride in lycra, so really no protection on the entire body, so why to emphasize protection over the shoes...

interesting you say it's not rubbery at touch and behave, and that it cuts pretty much the same as with regular epoxy, and that you can sand it to key the surface.

from them (easy composites) i understood that it's a bit like rubber, and that it's very hard to key, and kinda impossible to add something over it (like another epoxy, or coat) because it would be chipping very fast, not being able to remain on that EF80 epoxy surface.

after cutting it,
- how is the cut? is it clean? or some fray remaining?
- do you need to seal back the fresh cut, or not needed?

do you think is possible to cut it with a good scissor? this, of course, if the final product is thin. 

from them (easy composites), i understood that it's not possible to mix it with other epoxy... also, that the only way to bond it would be wait the regular epoxy to cure till B-stage (tacky state) and then start working with the EF80 epoxy - this way basically to rely on chemical bond.

but, to have two separate parts, one with regular epoxy and one with EF80 epoxy, and to bond them together i understand that is very difficult, like kinda impossible...

pfff, hard to understand this flexible epoxy...

i really do not understand why easy composites don't make a video about it... they have very very cool-interesting videos about other products, methods, etc, yet NOTHING about this flexible epoxy...

:-) i totally agree with you, i think the hardest part is to make the patterns/molds... same here, not there yet.

thanks ;-)
Mircea

Yes you can cut it with scissors, the edge doesn't fray too badly and you don't get splinters the same as with regular epoxy/carbon

If you put regular epoxy over it, yes it will crack - the material will flex and the epoxy on top won't

If you have a rigid epoxy part cured to the tack stage then you lay up the flex epoxy part overlapping, that should be your best bet

Hi all,

I'm currently looking at a project like this. I've been researching making a foot mould 'last'.
There are quite a few nice guides on youtube for cycling and skate boots.
A few useful guides are Simmons speed skating casting instructions and How to make Speed Skates.
I've made two 'lasts' which I'm just finishing off (with lot of measurements...) before waxing.

Good luck all!
M