The Nami Zellerfeld 3D-printed shoe collaboration with Finn Rush-Taylor.
Shoemakers have been flirting with 3D printing for years. The biggest names in footwear and fashion — Adidas, Nike NKE , New Balance, Dior, Reebok, Fendi — have all launched 3D-printed limited-edition shoes. But nearly all have failed to develop a lasting bond with the technology. Machine Making Rain Shoes
Is 3D printing not mature enough? Are shoes ill-positioned to reap the benefits of this manufacturing method?
“There’s a general lack of knowledge in the footwear industry about 3D printing technology, and there's also a great lack of knowledge in the 3D printing industry about footwear,” says Nicoline van Enter, footwear industry consultant and 3D printing expert. Her upcoming industry event, Footprint 3D, is designed to solve that problem by bringing together brand executives and 3D printer makers to talk about technology, manufacturing, and what each side envisions as the future of footwear.
The inaugural 3D printed footwear conference and expo, planned in Barcelona for September, will feature some of the biggest names in 3D printed shoes, plus start-ups, showing off their footwear innovations and the manufacturing processes they developed to bring them to market.
The 3D MTRX running shoes from Porsche Design and PUMA feature a 3D-printed midsole with air-filled ... [+] cubes for cushioning and stability.
“We are seeing a lot more companies that are very seriously interested in implementing 3D printing,” says van Enter, the CEO and co-founder of Footwearlogy Lab. Despite the interest, thought, there are several reasons behind the on-again, off-again relationship between 3D printing and footwear, including expensive materials and machines, limited production capability, and consumer disinterest.
Over the years, 3D printed shoes launched to fanfare, then seemingly faded away. Fashion house Dior sent models strutting down the 2023 Paris Fashion Week runway in $250 3D-printed versions of their classic Derby, which are no longer available.
“I don't think the major brands are there yet, at least in what they are showing us publicly,” says Philippe Holthuizen, founder of 3D printed shoe start-up Fused Footwear. “The majority of those designs are marketing-driven, with very little commitment to longer-term production and sales.”
Moving from one method of making footwear to another method of making footwear is fraught with risk for large brands, yet less so for smaller design companies, which have so far been leading the way.
In fact, until recently, there was little incentive pushing manufacturers toward 3D printing and no real benefit for consumers, but that’s changing.
With an increased focus on simplifying supply chains and boosting the footwear industry’s sustainability profile, brands see 3D printing as a match for both.
Overstock and designs that missed the mark with consumers plague shoemakers. More than 20 billion pairs of shoes are made every year, and almost all will end up in landfills — it’s estimated that one out of five are sent straight to the trash unworn.
In June, HP, Decathlon, and Lonati Group unveil this 3D-printed concept shoe demonstrating the ... [+] manufacturing sustainability.
3D printing offers the ability to manufacture each pair of shoes on-demand or at least manufacture fewer shoes, attracting brands that want to eliminate waste. There’s also the lure of having more flexibility to customize shoes to individual customers and change designs frequently without the high costs of new manufacturing molds and tooling.
Above printing on-demand, manufacturing shoes that are completely recyclable is another major environmental plus.
3D printing footwear start-up Zellerfeld, which launched its shoe 3D-printing platform earlier this year, manufacturers shoes on-demand customized to each wearer’s foot via a 3D scan taken at home with a smartphone.
Zellerfeld doesn’t keep inventory, and customers can return their shoes for recycling. It acts as a 3D-printing service for a cadre of influential shoe designers, including Heron Preston, KidSuper, Rains, and Kitty, by offering a farm of custom-built 3D printers running nearly non-stop.
Last month, the company partnered with Italian luxury clothing brand Moncler to launch a 3D-printed version of the Trailgrip shoe.
“Ever since Zellerfeld launched, we’re getting calls every day from companies that want to do that,” says van Enter. But 3D printing shoes is not just a manufacturing method, she cautions, it's an entirely new supply chain and new processes that require new ways of designing shoes with different software and unique materials.
The16kW unisex sneaker for clubbing and raving made from recyclable 3D printed soft TPU.
For years, 3D printer makers tried to sell 3D printers to footwear companies. “That turned out not to work so well simply because they were not able to integrate them into their current manufacturing setup,” says van Enter. 3D printers require different processes, materials, and employee skill sets, plus, with a six-figure price tag each — for resin and powder versions — they are an intimidating investment.
Instead, the industry needs a new business model, says van Enter, one that shifts focus from manufacturing for stock to manufacturing on-demand — a hurdle for large brands.
One solution may be the emerging practice that centers on 3D printing as a service where 3D printing experts, such as the printer makers, offer brands a manufacturing platform or at the very least, an R&D partnership.
In addition to Zellerfeld’s service, two other shoe-printing start-up platforms have launched recently: Koobz, which offers a turn-key solution to “democratize access to footwear manufacturing” it says; and Portland-based Hilos, which recently announced a $5 million investment round that included funding from longtime Nike executives.
The Fused Kodo 3D-printed lifestyle sneaker manufactured by Fused Footwear is made to order and can ... [+] be returned for recycling.
Hilos hopes to partner with footwear brands to offer its 3D printed shoe soles that are printed on HP 3D printers and can be recycled at the end of the product’s life.
In fact, global technology company, HP HPQ , which has its additive manufacturing headquarters in Barcelona, also aims to take the production burden off of shoemakers. In a recent launch of a concept shoe with sportswear brand Decathlon, the company showed how its design and manufacturing talent can help companies realize what’s possible with 3D printing. The result is a shoe with a detachable woven upper and a 3D-printed sole, both of which can be personalized to consumers preferences and needs. The glue-free modular construction means shoes can be easily repaired if damaged, extending the product’s lifespan and reducing waste.
“We are proud to partner with Decathlon in showcasing the immense potential of 3D printing in contributing to a more sustainable approach to manufacturing,” said Don Albert, Head of Footwear and Sports at HP Personalization & 3D Printing, in a statement.
The HP/Decathlon shoe is printed with HP 3D printers, which are a favorite of print-services worldwide, potentially enabling on-demand production of the shoes more locally.
About 85% of footwear is manufactured in Asia, but 3D printing could reshore more manufacturing.
3D printed to resemble wood, these shoe soles from Hilos are assembled with upper materials, then ... [+] disassembled for easier recycling.
“We are proud to say that every pair of Made Plus shoes is crafted with care right here in the USA,” touts the website of this footwear start-up founded by former UnderArmor and Nike executives. Made Plus, following the made-to-order model, launched its first shoe in June. Currently, it only 3D prints parts of its shoes – an optional insole – while the rest is knitted from material made of recycled plastic bottles.
Many 3D printed shoes are made with industrial 3D printers, such as from US-based companies HP or Carbon, but the new platforms, including Zellerfeld, Fused Footwear, and others, are using far more affordable technology similar to consumer desktop 3D printers that can cost less than $1,000 each.
Zellerfeld developed it own 3D printers that use standard TPU filament and the entire factory concept doesn’t require significant capital investment. Its 3D print farm can be spun up almost anywhere.
When footwear brand execs meet in Barcelona at Footprint 3D they’ll have an opportunity to touch, feel, and try on 3D printed shoes, which is often the eye-opener, says van Enter.
Shoes Machine Making While 3D printing shoes live at the MICAM footwear fair in Milan earlier this year, retailers approached van Enter’s Footwearology Lab booth with expectations that the shoes would be hard and uncomfortable. "They were amazed how soft and comfortable they are." And now it’s up to the retailers to expose consumers to more 3D printed shoes.