A system for processing partially assembled parts of an article of footwear, the system comprising: a marking mechanism for marking physical indicia on a shoe upper at a bite line, the bite line defining, on the shoe upper, an interface between the shoe upper and a corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe; a light source (370; 730) that projects light across at least a portion of the marked bite line at an angle non-parallel to the marked bite line; a first camera (380; 710) that records a first series of images representing a plurality of points at which the light intersects with the marked bite line and representing the reflection of the light from at least part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe; a second camera (382; 720) that records a second series of images representing the plurality of points at which the light intersects with the marked bite line; and a computing system that processes the first and second series of images to generate bite line data and three-dimensional profile data and utilizes the bite line data and the three-dimensional profile data to generate a tool path for processing, wherein the computing system is configured to combine the bite line data and the three-dimensional profile data to generate a surface map of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit, and configured to generate the tool path for processing the shoe upper utilizing the combined bite line and three-dimensional profile data, the tool path generated to be contained within the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe and to stay within an area bounded by the marked bite line. a marking mechanism for marking physical indicia on a shoe upper at a bite line, the bite line defining, on the shoe upper, an interface between the shoe upper and a corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe; a light source (370; 730) that projects light across at least a portion of the marked bite line at an angle non-parallel to the marked bite line; a first camera (380; 710) that records a first series of images representing a plurality of points at which the light intersects with the marked bite line and representing the reflection of the light from at least part of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe; a second camera (382; 720) that records a second series of images representing the plurality of points at which the light intersects with the marked bite line; and a computing system that processes the first and second series of images to generate bite line data and three-dimensional profile data and utilizes the bite line data and the three-dimensional profile data to generate a tool path for processing, wherein the computing system is configured to combine the bite line data and the three-dimensional profile data to generate a surface map of the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit, and configured to generate the tool path for processing the shoe upper utilizing the combined bite line and three-dimensional profile data, the tool path generated to be contained within the portion of the shoe upper to be covered by the corresponding bottom unit upon assembly of the shoe and to stay within an area bounded by the marked bite line.