3D printed fashion: shoes made through additive manufacturing

In the fashion industry, additive manufacturing allows designers to be truly creative and “go wild”: collections are unique, personalized, capturing an atypical range of shapes and geometries never seen before. If we take a closer look at shoe design, it is clear that 3D printing technologies have become extremely visible.

Last year, SmarTech analysis predicted that the use of additive manufacturing in this sector was expected to generate more than $6.5 billion by 2029, with expected annual growth of 19.5%. Futuristic sports shoes are even based on 3D printing, although not always the entire shoe is 3D printed, but only the sole. In any case, 3D printing and shoes are a great combination: here are 10 pairs of 3D printed shoes that will prove it to you:

3D printed fashion: shoes made through additive manufacturing

When Adidas decided to use additive manufacturing to make sneakers in 2018, it attracted a lot of attention; that same year, the sporting goods maker made 100,000 pairs of 3D-printed shoes, called Futurecraft 4D, using the Clip Carbon process.

Carbon 3D printing technology works by projecting a continuous sequence of UV images under a bath of liquid resin, a process similar to SLA technology. Adidas revealed that 3D printing added a lot of flexibility to its operations, from reducing delivery times to offering a shoe that could be fully customized at a reasonable price. In December 2018, Adidas releases another 3D printed shoe: the AlphaEdge 4D, again in collaboration with Carbon.

Reebok is one of the best-known companies in the production of sports shoes. A few years ago the company decided to use additive manufacturing technologies to create the soles of a new collection of sports shoes; Liquid Speed ​​soles have become an ideal. Together with the company BASF, Reebok used a liquid polyurethane material in the production of the soles. In addition to offering ultra performance and significantly increased durability, Liquid Speed ​​also has a truly unique design.

In 2015, New Balance collaborated with 3D Systems to develop additively manufactured outsoles for its new sneakers. The so-called DuraForm Flex are the soles created with SLS technology from a thermoplastic material; the shoe is resistant, flexible, aesthetic and long-lasting. Last year, New Balance teamed up with Formlabs to release the 990 Sport and FuelCell Echo Triple.

The Danish shoe manufacturer ECCO launched a new service in 2019: Quant-U. This service offers you complete customization of your pairs of shoes. Thanks to a 3D scanning process accessible in the manufacturer’s stores, the company is able to create soles perfectly suited to the wearer. Ideal cushioning, increased performance, shoe created exactly based on the shape, width and length of the wearer.

Wiivv is a young Canadian company also specialized in the production of clogs via additive manufacturing; Completely customized to the morphology of the wearer, Wiivv creates its own shoes with the help of a smartphone app. The user scans their foot, sends the data to the company, and a few weeks later, receives an ultra-personalized, comfortable, premium shoe. The company uses SLS technology.

Prevolve creates minimalist shoes that allow the foot to move naturally; the Seattle-based company uses BioFusion technology to create ultra-personalized and flexible 3D printed shoes. Additionally, Prevolve only makes shoes to order (to reduce waste) and its shoes are 100% recyclable.

The Canadian manufacturer Native Shoes launched the Liquid Print Natives project with the intention of developing rigorously 3D printed products; examines the use of liquid rubber as a production material in 3D footwear printing, using EVA – ethylene vinyl acetate to be precise. Fully customizable and recyclable, the 3D printed shoes have helped the company significantly reduce not only production time, but also production costs.

Organic collection

Organic Collection is a brand developed by a young fashion design student, Lucia Trejtanarova, who creates sandals, especially their soles, through additive manufacturing. But the entire shoe is organic: the outsole is 3D printed, and above that, the «body» of the shoe is made entirely of organic fabrics such as coconut or pineapple leaves. Lucie chose a TPU that is flexible enough, yet resistant to abrasion and wear, while being, at the same time, recyclable, a key attribute in her business.

Iris Van Herpen

Iris Van Herpen is undoubtedly one of the best-known 3D printing designers, being among the «pioneers» of additive manufacturing in fashion. And they don’t just create shoes, but entire collections: from dresses to trousers. In collaboration with the founder of the United Nude brand, Van Herpen created a collection of fully 3D printed shoes inspired by the «banyan» tree. The shoes were worn at Paris Fashion Week and were made with a Stratasys PolyHet 3D printer in various colors.

Mycelium

Imagined by the Ica & Kostika design studio, the Mycelium pair is fully 3D printed using SLS technology. An impressive shoe, the Mycelium doesn’t go unnoticed on the street, with only 5 pairs available so far – we’re not sure if walking in these shoes is fun, but the founders say they’re a lot more comfortable than they look.