Consumers have 3D printing to thank because they can order a customized loafer, sneaker, or sandal designed specifically to their foot. They can receive these 3D printed shoes in less than 24 hours. The company Feetz creates a shoe that is almost completely 3D printed, with about 90 percent of each shoe made with a 3D printer. The only part of the shoe that is not 3D printed is the fabric lining which is made using traditional production methods. Using their own-patented polymer Feetz is able to create material that is three-to-four times more flexible than anything else around. Customers are able to use a smartphone app to send a digital photo of their foot, which allows the company to produce the shoe within one-to-two millimeters of the person’s foot.
Each person can also download an app to customize the size and shape of the 3D printed shoe to fit their foot as perfect as possible. Because of machine learning, Feetz can 3D print each pair in under a day. The 3D printed shoes are biodegradable and made with recycled or recyclable materials. The company allows customers to send back their shoes free of charge once they are done with them, so they can be recycled and reused for shoes that are printed in the future. The chemicals in the materials prevent them from biodegrading and allow them to be turned into a new shoe up to 20 times. Smart innovations such as this are why 3DShoes.com features products by Feetz on our site.
Original Article: https://www.rdmag.com/article/2017/10/3d-printing-sustainable-custom-fit-shoes
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