Heel, toe, on the line—will you be my Valentine? -Children’s song

My roommate lost the heel cap of her boot last month, so I was asked to print her a replacement.

Before
Before

1st Iteration
1st iteration: PLA
I modeled the heel cap using an image for reference (taken normal to the plane of the boot). Since there was wear toward the rear of the heel, the print was too short. I initially printed the model with “pins” corresponding to the indentations in the heel; however, since they were so small, they easily broke off.

2nd iteration: PLA, measurement check
After size adjustments, the heel can be pressed into the indentation without severe effort. However, it doesn’t fit well due to the stiffness of the PLA.

3rd Iteration
3rd iteration: TPU (40% infill) The flexibility of the TPU allows the heel cap to follow the well-worn contour of the heel. If this iteration isn’t too soft, the heel cap can be finished, dyed and glued into the heel. A corner was too sharp; however, I was able to easily cut into the model and remove the material.