Disrupting Global Footwear Market With Tech
LATEST BLOGS
Ica & Kostika Shoe Designs
Post by Charlie White on Sep 18, 2019
Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) of consumer products has more progress to be made, but at the same time has come a long way. Currently, it helps provide highly customized and exclusive products rather than one that is mass-produced. 3D printed shoes are futuristic, natural, and complex forms such as the...
Fizik's Aeroweave Shoe
Post by Charlie White on Sep 15, 2019
Fizik has unveiled a new Vento Powerstrap R2 Aeroweave shoe with a net-like upper which is made from nylon fibred and thermoplastic polymer filaments. The shoe combines both breathability with a high level of resilience. Although there are other shoes with a woven upper, the Aeroweave looks very open. Professionals...
Color-Changing Ink
Post by Charlie White on Sep 12, 2019
Imagine not having to settle for buying your favorite shoes in blue or red. Instead, being able to buy one pair of shoes and the color-changing depending on how you feel each day. Maybe you would even want to add multicolor flames or a zebra print. PhotoChromeleon Ink, a reprogrammable...
OESH Townie Flat
Post by Charlie White on Sep 04, 2019
The OESH Townie flat is a beautiful, functional flat that is 3D printed to provide what seemed to be impossible features. Within the Townie are over 2,000 stacked honeycomb spring units that 3D printed into the sole with our patent-pending 3D print process. The unique structure cannot be made with...
Mass Product Customization
Post by Charlie White on Sep 01, 2019
Standardization of products has become the norm when it comes to mass production. Products come in limited sizes to achieve the lowest costs since customization with traditional methods for each consumer is almost impossible. Thankfully with 3D printing, we are seeing new possibilities and business opportunities. Mass production used to...
3D Printed Wearables Market
Post by Charlie White on Aug 26, 2019
The Global 3D printed wearables market will maintain its steady course, per Future Market Insights. According to a study, the 3D printed wearables industry is influenced by the focus on partnerships with technology providers to rid traditional limitations for design innovations. Seeing the potential and consumer demand for 3D printed...
Biodegradable 3D Sandals
Post by Charlie White on Aug 12, 2019
Lucie Trejtnarová, a graduate from the Facility of Multimedia Communication, Tomas Bata University of Zlín, Czech Republic, and manufacturer Filamentum have developed a 3D printed shoe collection. The Organic shoe collection was created to make sustainable footwear and accessories. The sandal line integrates 3D printed outsoles from a TPU-based Flexfill...
Ganit Goldstein Innovation
Post by Charlie White on Aug 08, 2019
Ganit Goldstein has found her niche by incorporating 3D printing with the art of weaving. A graduate from Israel’s Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, she recently partnered with 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys. Goldstein is designing footwear inspired by the Japanese Ikat weaving technique, which she learned while she was...
Annie Foo Design Company
Post by Charlie White on Aug 06, 2019
The Annie Foo Design Company is joining the 3D printing trend. Annie Foo is currently finishing her master’s degree in fashion at the Royal College of Art. She has managed to design, and 3D print her work which consists of high-tech fashionable shoes, with an HP Multi Jet Fusion 4200....
Carbon And Covestro 3D Resin
Post by Charlie White on Jul 31, 2019
German manufacturer Covestro and Carbon are partnering to create mass production of Carbo’s polyurethane liquid resin. Additive manufacturing presents the challenge of suitable materials with needed quality and quantity. With this partnership, they can push boundaries and support industries looking into digital mass production. Carbon’s technology uses light and oxygen...
ONLINE 3D FOOTWEAR DESIGN IN RHINO COURSE
Post by Michael Mazzotta on Jul 30, 2019
ONLINE 3D FOOTWEAR DESIGN IN RHINO COURSE September 16 - October 27, 2019 Yes! It is ready for registration: our online course for 3D footwear design in Rhino. We have given many of these courses offline, so we know it is a steep learning curve. That is...
Recycled Plastic Sneakers
Post by Charlie White on Jul 29, 2019
Footwear label Oliver Cabell has launched several new products, one of which will bring changes to the footwear industry. First is his GAT Mango Mohawk shoe which is a retro German athletic trainer which is hand-crafted with Italian calfskin leather, suede, and Spanish vegetable-tanned leather lining. They are available in...
The Earth Shoe
Post by Charlie White on Jul 25, 2019
NYC based companies, Zellerfeld and Querencia Studios, are taking their first step by launching a limited-edition Earth Suit Shoe which is fully 3D printed. Querencia Studio created the Design, while 3D printing company Zellerfeld Inc. is using its technology to print the shoes. The technology was developed by Cornelius Schmitt...
Future Fusion Peak3D Sneakers
Post by Charlie White on Jul 23, 2019
Peak sports have released a pair of 3D printed sneakers as part of the Future Fusion Peak3D brand. They feature a 3D printed sole as well as upper and quarter sections of the shoe. Produced with TPU material, and 3D printed using both SLS and FDM/FFF additive manufacturing technology. 600...
Pxl Shoe Customization Platform
Post by Charlie White on Jul 17, 2019
Customization has been integrating into the footwear industry for a while. It helps provide a personalized product that no one else possesses. Pxl is launching a platform for users to create, share, and collaborate on customized footwear. Digital footwear design tools have evolved into robust technology such as Romans CAD...
TripleCell 3D Printing
Post by Charlie White on Jul 07, 2019
New Balance has shown an interest in 3D printing since 2016 when it released the Zante Generate shoe, which features a 3D printed midsole. About a year later New Balance announced a partnership with Formlabs to help develop high-performance material, hardware, and process for athletic footwear. Now, New Balance has...
Z-Sharp 3D Midsoles
Post by Charlie White on Jul 01, 2019
Additive manufacturing startup Z-Sharp 3D Technology has invested about $3 million into a new printing facility in the city of Wuhu, China. The facility is being used to produce 3D printed TPU midsoles for sports footwear. According to the project manager, Zhou Yalei, the company has installed 15 Selective Laser...
OurOwnSkin 3D Footwear
Post by Charlie White on Jun 24, 2019
Footwear designer and researcher, Liz Ciokajlo, is focusing on the impact of material innovation and emerging making processes. Her plan is to bring a fresh look to how materials and technologies can reshape fashion footwear through her firm OurOwnSkin. Liz studied at the University of Cincinnati with industrial design. Afterward,...
Bio-Leather Shoes
Post by Charlie White on Jun 05, 2019
Livne has designed sneakers with alternative leather inserts that are made from wasted fat, bones, and blood of animals. The sneakers were designed as part of Livne’s Meat Factory project. It’s a series of material experiments to turn fat and bones taken from waste streams of slaughterhouses in the Netherlands...
3D Martial Arts Shoes
Post by Charlie White on Jun 02, 2019
At the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, researchers are exploring mass customization. Peng Hong and Xia Xinqiao are using 3D printing to put a spin on manufacturing. Mass usually means large amounts made to look the same and customization refers to unique and small productions, putting them together could...
Origin And 3D Partnerships
Post by Charlie White on May 29, 2019
Origin, who is focused on bringing mass manufacturing to the addictive industry, has introduced a 3D printer. The “Origin One” is an SLA/DLP machine which combines materials, hardware, and software to make high volume 3D printing. With this technology, Origin has partnered with the large shoe manufacturer ECCO. It is...
Nike's 3D Scanning
Post by Charlie White on May 22, 2019
Nike has created an app that can use 3D scanning to recommend a shoe size for consumers. Nike Fit is a foot measuring software with the intention of choosing the correct shoe size. According to them, 60% of customers are walking around with the wrong shoe size. Last year Nike...
3D Printing And The Footwear Industry
Post by Charlie White on May 19, 2019
Consumer applications have presented a challenge for additive manufacturing (AM), but we will see that change as time passes. According to market research, the footwear industry and AM will bring big changes in how consumer products are made. 3D printing has been used for footwear prototyping and will continue to...
Adidas' New Alphaedge 4D
Post by Charlie White on May 17, 2019
Adidas has given a preview about the latest version of its 3D printed shoe, the Alphaedge 4D. The first one was released back in 2018 and was made in collaboration with Carbon. Carbon uses continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) which is a digital light synthesis process. Adidas has been looking...
Patrizio Carlucci Interview (ECCO)
Post by Charlie White on May 12, 2019
Recently there was an interview with Patrizio Carlucci, the head of Innovation Lab ECCO a subsidiary of Danish shoemaker ECCO. The lab is ECCO’s independent cross-disciplinary design studio. They create and deliver projects that focus on alternative production methods and new technologies. The lab’s project QUANT-U is built on industry...
3D Jewelry And Shoes
Post by Charlie White on May 07, 2019
A fashion design graduate, Ganit Goldstein, is one of the many fashion designers who use 3D printing. She recently showed her new experimental collection at Milan Design Week which was called Shifted Craft. The project had the support of Stratasys and included seven pieces of 3D printed jewelry and two...
Voxel8 Design And Production
Post by Charlie White on May 03, 2019
Voxel8 has come up with a multi-material addictive manufacturing solution that focuses on sports shoes and clothing. Instead of just the soles, Voxel8 designs the upper part of the shoe. The ActiveMix process allows 3D printed shoes to feature high performance and reactive polyurethanes. Voxel8 hopes to offer mass customization...
Self-Repairing Sneakers
Post by Charlie White on Apr 29, 2019
Technology is always improving and becoming more advanced. Since the first 3D printer was developed the implications have become almost limitless. There was even a fully-functioning heart created using a 3D printer recently. Qiming Wang, professor at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, has come up with...
Y-3 RUNNER 4D II
Post by Charlie White on Apr 25, 2019
Adidas is continuing to expand its Futurecraft 4D shoes with the help of DLS 3D printing technology, with the help of Carbon. Their new shoe, the Y-3 RUNNER 4D II is part of the Y-3 fashion label and is an updated version of previous Y-3 shoes with 4D technology. Following...
Recycled And Re-purposed Shoes
Post by Charlie White on Apr 22, 2019
Each year billions of shoes are worn, fall apart, and then chucked into a landfill. About 300 million pairs of running shoes are thrown away in the UK alone. In an attempt to avoid this Adidas is using its factories to produce shoes that can be ground into pellets, melted...
Formless Heels
Post by Charlie White on Apr 17, 2019
Digital Artisan, JSR Corporation, and Castem have all partnered together to create “formless” high heel shoes. Using an M2 3D printer they made 3D printed molds to form casts of the wedged metal heels. With generative design technology, each pair can be tailored to the appropriate shape based on the...
Alphaedge 4D Sneakers
Post by Charlie White on Apr 08, 2019
Adidas has created 3D printed vegan sneakers. After already having a successful collaboration Adidas and Stella McCartney have decided to work together again. Their goal is to produce an innovative 3D printed shoe for women. In the past, they created the world’s first sustainable activewear line made from ocean plastic,...
ECCO Shoes Partnership
Post by Charlie White on Mar 31, 2019
Footwear manufacturers aim for the perfect fit, perfect comfort, and ultimate performance. ECCO wants to customize shoes for each consumer rather than shoes designed for a standardized foot. For their quantified you (Quant-U) experiment they partnered with Dassault Systèmes who are dedicated to 3D design and applications. Together the companies...
Suavs Flexible Sneakers
Post by Charlie White on Mar 27, 2019
Most consumers want a pair of shoes that are breathable, comfortable, and look good as well. The company Suavs has come out with a pair of sneakers that meet all these criteria. The shoes are made from a soft, breathable 3D printed knit. They also feature lightweight, non-slip rubber soles...
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35 FlyEase
Post by Charlie White on Mar 18, 2019
Recently Nike released the Air Zoom Pegasus 35 FlyEase to the public, which includes a FlyEase zip closure system in the heel of the Zoom Pegasus shoe. The shoes were designed to make it easy for athletes to put them on or take them off. One of the best parts...
3D Printed Shoe Collaboration
Post by Charlie White on Mar 13, 2019
Stratasys is working with American stop-motion animation studio LAIKA, as well as Nike, to 3D print exclusive shoes. They will be a special edition of the Missing Link x Nike Air Max Susan shoe, for LAIKA’s movie ‘Missing Link.’ The original version of the shoe is a collaboration between Nike...
Ortholite And Superfeet Insoles
Post by Charlie White on Jan 21, 2019
The number of people suffering from foot pain is rising, and the health market is growing. Because of this, footwear retailers are focusing more on the insole of the shoe. The insole is not part of the style so it is often relegated to the back corners of footwear stores....
The Exobiology Collection
Post by Charlie White on Jan 17, 2019
A new 3D printed shoe collection has been revealed by Ica and Kostika. They are both appealing and unique, but they do not appear at first like they are comfortable. With the help of 3D printing, the shoes are designed to perfectly fit the shape of each individual consumer’s foot....
A Partnership For Insoles
Post by Charlie White on Jan 09, 2019
Most of you may be familiar with Dr. Scholl’s brand insoles. I personally use them almost every day because I am always on my feed for work. It is a very suggested brand if you spend a lot of time in uncomfortable shoes. However, 3D printed shoes are starting off...
ShapeCrunch 3D Insoles
Post by Charlie White on Jan 06, 2019
As someone who ran track in the past, I know comfortable running shoes can be an important thing to have. However, people can spend thousands just to get a pair that both looks good and helps prevent strain on their foot. An Indian start-up, ShapeCrunch, is trying to help with...
Rothy's 3D Knitted Shoes
Post by Charlie White on Jan 04, 2019
Everyone wants to find a pair of shoes that both look great and will last. It can also be hard to find shoes do not use too many resources unless you want to search for a thrift store. With 3D printed shoes, there can be a use of recycled materials....
GEL NIMBUS 21 Shoe
Post by Charlie White on Dec 09, 2018
ASICS recently launched their GEL-NIMBUS 21 shoe. It is a top of the range, neutral long distance running shoe. The company states that the shoe includes human-centric science and the latest technology to provide superior comfort for long distance. The shoe features FLYTEFOAM PROPEL & FLYTEFOAM LYTE technology to prove...
3D Partnership Between NAMIC And Wiivv
Post by Charlie White on Nov 13, 2018
The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) from Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding with Wiivv. Through this partnership, they will try to develop 3D printed biometric insoles. Wiivv shows us how a new business should be, by riding on market trends. This includes mass customization and building personalized and...
Nike's Elite Running Shoe
Post by Charlie White on Nov 11, 2018
Nike has prepared their 3D printed shoe, Zoom Vaporfly Elite Flyprint 3D for a wider release. The Flyprint 3D is an updated version of Nike’s famous 3D printed Zoom Vaporfly 4%. It was designed with help from Eluid Kipchoge, the winner of the Berlin marathon in 2018. This footwear company...
Voxel8's Mass Customization
Post by Charlie White on Oct 29, 2018
Major companies such as Adidas and Nike believe the footwear industry will be among the first to adopt 3D printing technology for mass production. This is true for mass customization and until now the focus has been on 3D printing the outsole and midsole. A Startup, Voxel8, is ready to...
Jabil's Additive Manufacturing
Post by Charlie White on Oct 14, 2018
Jabil has been focusing on additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, for the past few years. Recently it has introduced its cloud-based Jabil Additive Manufacturing Network. Their additive manufacturing offering is broad, but they are currently focusing footwear. 3D printing has become a bigger part of the footwear industry, including everything...
Mikio Sakabe's Giddy Up Label
Post by Charlie White on Oct 09, 2018
Mikio Sakabe, a Japanese fashion designer, recently announced some 3D printed shoes. He shows interest in 3D printing and innovative, smart materials. The fashion-tech landscape has finally passed the ‘gimmick” stage. An initial desire to merge two scenes is no longer just an idea. Drawing inspiration from one of the...
3D Printing In The Fashion Industry
Post by Charlie White on Sep 30, 2018
New York Fashion Week this year featured seven days of innovation with concepts that have never been seen. The most elite members of the fashion community were in attendance, and we were shown the latest upcoming trends. A focus of the event is fast fashion, which is capturing fresh designs...
HP Orthotics And Flowbuilt
Post by Charlie White on Sep 25, 2018
HP recently announced that it will launch metal 3D printers and automated 3D printers to be used for polymers. The company is making investments in the technology and everyone wants to know what their plan is so they can try and get ahead of them. HP does $52 billion in...
3D Printing And Manufacturing
Post by Charlie White on Sep 17, 2018
3D printing is starting to have quite the effect on everyday human lives. The printers are creating shapes as well as shaping the future of our industry. 3D printing has been applied to aviation, education, footwear, and even healthcare! In the US alone, the value of the technology was 13.2...
