Recently the Cleveland Indians pitcher, Corey Kluber, was the first player to wear partially 3D printed cleats in a major league baseball game. Wiivv launched a Kickstarter campaign for custom 3D printed sandals around the same time. 3D printed footwear is starting to appear more in the footwear industry. However, the vast majority of 3D shoes on the market are mostly produced with conventional manufacturing techniques. Most shoes are only partially 3D printed, such as soles or the inserts. Many of these methods are used by 3DShoes.com, Adidas, New Balance, and many other companies pursuing 3D printed footwear.
An industrial designer named Amadou Ba Ndiaye wanted to investigate 3D printing as a means of producing and entire shoe rather than just a part. He calls it “The Genesis project,” which uses 3D scanning and selective laser sintering to design and 3D print two pairs of shoes. The shoes are a flashy black and gold sneaker and an elegant pair of red and black high heels. TPU was used for the black sneaker, which was 3D printed entirely in one piece. The gold embellishment, however, was manufactured using lost wax casting from a 3D printing mold. The gold part can be removed and replaced so wearers can customize their shoes to their liking.
The high heeled shoes were 3D printed using TPU, but the heels themselves were printed in PA 2200, same as the red ribbon embellishments that wrap around the heel and ankle. Ndiaye decided to go with selective laser sintering because it offers a greater level of precision and detail, as well as good durability. His goal wasn’t just to make a pair of 3D printed shoes, but also to demonstrate the advantages that 3D printing could offer over traditional means. In addition to freedom for design, it also provides plenty of other advantages. For now, Amadou Ba Ndiaye has no plans to commercialize the shoes he has designed.
Original Article: https://3dprint.com/170388/industrial-designer-3d-print-shoes/
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