Remember the time you went to the university and not wearing shoes? I guess that question can be answered with a ‘never’. Shoes are not only inevitable in our daily fashion, but also correct our posture and provide us with the daily support needed.
In April Adidas launched a new sneaker together with Silicon Valley start-up Carbon with a 3D printed sole, which it plans on producing next year. The goal is to create small production runs for limited edition shoes. (Tepper 2017) However, it will not come as a surprise that this 3D printed shoe, that fits your feet perfectly will not be sold for a bargain. Not only is it very costly as this printer does not use the effects of economies of scale, but the printer itself is a huge investment. 3D printers range from $6,000 – $750,000, depending on the functionality, print materials and the size of the prints (Computer Aided Technology, 2017)
However, it is discussed that the prices will lower, due to new technological advancements and a high demand of both these printers and the products these printers create. Next to the fact you are wearing one of these cool 3D printed shoes, these shoes also have a great other benefit. People having issues with different sized feet, wide feet or thick feet will now also be able to buy boots or heals they would have never fit in before. (Burrus 2017) SOLS Systems is taking this benefit even a step further by using the printing device to make orthotic shoes that alleviate a patient’s foot pain and improve comfort. SOLS can become a great competitor of shoe labels such as Adidas, as they did extensive research on shoe buyers. SOLS found that 53% of the people are not wearing their true shoe size and 80% even experiences foot pain regularly. (Sols Systems 2017)
The future of 3D printing will result in cutting a lot of time in stores, but also in the factories (Burrus 2017), Normally it takes 12 to 18 months from the start of designing a sneaker, whereas, in a store this will only have to take a day before you can get your collectors item. (Tepper 2017) Even though the majority of shoes are made in the traditional way in my opinion 3D shoes will definitely become more common in the future. In a couple of years time you will be able to go to the university on your 3D self-created shoes, who would not want that?
Burrus, D. (2017). 3D Printed Shoes: A Step in the Right Direction. [online] WIRED. Available at: https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/09/3d-printed-shoes/ [Accessed 4 Oct. 2017].
SOLS Systems. (2017). Get Your Free Custom 3D Size Analysis | SIZERIGHT by SOLS. [online] Available at: http://www.sols.com/sizeright/ [Accessed 4 Oct. 2017].
Computer Aided Technology. (2017). 3D Printer Price – Stratasys 3D Printers. [online] Available at: https://www.cati.com/3d-printing/3d-printer-price/ [Accessed 17 Oct. 2017].
TechCrunch. Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/07/adidas-latest-3d-printed-shoe-puts-mass-production-within-sight/ [Accessed 4 Oct. 2017].
Tepper, F. (2017). Adidas’ latest 3D-printed shoe puts mass production within sight. [online]
Hey Georgina,
Interesting blog post! I agree with you that it would it would be really cool to have 3D self-created shoes. Besides that, I believe technologies like 3D printing can become very valuable for some people. Like you mentioned. People having issues with different sized feet, wide feet or thick feet will now also be able to buy boots or heals they would have never fit in before.
An example of this is actually my mom, although she is perfectly normal and health, her feet have an odd shape. Because of this she struggles to find shoes that fit her. She often buys shoes designed for man, since they are wider and thus better fit her odd shape. 3D printing would help people like my mom create suitable shoes. For skiing she already has special custom-made shoes. These shoes where not made with a 3D printing method but with a Vacuum fit method. This YouTube video show how that was done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOT7F-5ReJc .