Footwear is intended to offer the first line of protection to the feet. Inappropriate footwear not only causes discomfort, but also results in foot pain, tissue injury and ulceration due to high plantar pressure. The problems are exacerbated when people have deformed feet and diabetic foot ulcers. This project incorporates precise 3D foot shape and plantar geometries, human locomotion and realistic models of footwear material behavior to enhance the ergonomic design of footwear for diabetic patients. A novel knitted insole material structure has been developed to enhance in-shoe comfort, air and moisture permeabilities. With the assistance of artificial intelligence and image deep learning, ergonomic footwear providing explicit control of plantar pressure and wear comfort can be designed and developed.