As a cyclist, I thought ewhewell’s design of a customizable shoe that uses epoxy was really intriguing. I don’t know how feasible it would really be, but I’d be interested in trying it out. I have seen “custom” shoe insoles that firm up only after you inject a chemical into a small port on the side of the insole that mixes with the gel layer that’s already in there. If it fit snug to your individual foot, maybe you wouldn’t need so much padding and heavy closure devices.