Stepping into the Future with 3D Printed Shoes

Are you tired of having new shoes that you need to “break in” because they hurt your feet? Or maybe are you just plain fed up with having to deal with really nice looking shoes that always feel uncomfortable no matter how long you wear them?

Well soon, those will just be a thing of the past thanks to 3D Printing. When you hear about 3D printing, it’s often something related to prototyping, mechanical parts and even art. Time to add another to the list because several world leading shoe companies, including Nike and Addidas are now now using 3D Printing technology to give customers 3D printed shoes that are custom made for them.

What makes 3D printed shoes so enticing for consumers is that the shoes are tailored for each person’s unique feet. Few people have feet that are identical. In other words, your left foot might be slightly wider or smaller than your right foot. Because of this, finding shoes that fit both feet perfectly is rare. Additionally, because the current shoe sizing system is limited to a numeric point system that  only takes into consideration on how long someone’s feet are. Finding shoes for wide or thick feet is difficult. 3D Printing solves all this solves this in a jiffy.

With 3D printed shoes, you don’t have to waste your time and energy by trying on box after box of pre-made shoes in standard sizes that may or may not be in stock depending on the store branch. Instead, you get treated to getting several photographs taken of their feet from various angles. This allows the computer to create an accurate 3D model of the person’s feet. This information is then combined with details about the customer’s height, weight, and activities they engage in. After inputting all the data, customers receive a personalized pair of shoes tailored exactly for them.

This process not only saves time and money but it also saves you from possible disappointment from learning that nice flats in the counter doesn’t have your size. Nor will you have to suffer your comfort for fashion ever again.

Of course, this technology is not just for fashion conscious people who seek the latest trends in shoes. It also has a therapeutic application. One of the leading makers of customized and corrective orthotics, SOLS Systems, is using 3D shoe printing to make orthotic shoes that alleviate a patient’s foot pain and improve comfort. In the process, they are taking the orthotic scanning and prescription process from archaic and sterile to tech-savvy and fashionable. It’s a win-win scenario either way.

Additionally, the word branded creator of athletic footwear, Nike has just released its new Nike Vapor Ultimate Cleat American football boot in the market. These 3D printed shoes combine 3D knitting and 3D shoe printing to give players an athletic shoe that delivers both lightweight speed and strength. By integrating 3D knitting with 3D shoe printing, Nike is giving athletes shoes that have a second-skin, sock-like fit that can adapt to each individual player’s foot as well as to his style of play, helping athletes perform at their highest level.

In response to this, Adidas also just revealed their sneakers new trend called the Futurecraft 4D. The shoe’s sole is made using a 3D printing type process, but with a certain a twist. Instead of using additive printing methods, the company responsible for printing the shoes, uses a process known as Continuous Liquid Interface Production.

3D sneaker printing is now totally a thing of the present!