3D Printing for Fashion Shoes

The 3D printed shoe collection by up-and-coming Czech designer, Pavla Podsedniková, was one of the highlights of the Design and Fashion Week in Prague this month, where top Czech and foreign fashion designers presented their work.  

The ‘Instant Shoe 2’ line exhibited at  Designblok’13  as part of the fashion week. boasted five pairs of multi-material 3D printed customized shoes, sculpted for a perfect fit from digital scans of the wearers’ feet. Printed using Stratasys’ unique multi-material 3D printing technology, the shoes combine both rigid and flexible materials to create ‘fit-for-purpose’ elements.

The lighter gray exterior, 3D printed using a rigid opaque gray material (VeroGray), enabled Podsedníková to create the robust structure for both functionality and aesthetics. Combining this rigid material with a rubber-like black material (TangoBlack) without assembly allowed the designer to create a flexible third material for the soft inner sole, supporting the natural curves of the foot. “The special thing about the unique multi-material 3D printing with the Objet Connex 3D Printer is that you can create a product with a number of different materials simultaneously in one job, without having to assemble them one-by-one. When it comes to design, this empowers us to go beyond the traditional boundaries set not only by other 3D printing technology, but also traditional manufacturing methods,” commented Podsedníková.

With sales on her mind, Podsedniková aims to take this one step further and create a 3D library of her shoes, from which the public can select a design and have a pair 3D printed for a perfect fit.