Parametric shoes

Shoes made using a 3D printer

Every year, 20 billion pairs of shoes are produced in the world. One shoe is made of up to 30 materials, most of them difficult or not compostable. At the same time, the production process of one steam consumes up to 25,000 liters of water. As part of their diploma thesis at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, design students Zuzanna Gronowicz and Barbara Motylińska decided to look for more environmentally friendly methods of creating shoes that could also be personalized. This is how Shoetopia was created.

Making shoes using 3D printing

3D printer ZMorph and single-material printing were used to print flexible loops. The shoe elements are printed directly, so they do not require gluing. The soles, in turn, use parametric structures, which require less material and the whole thing is more durable. A DUAL PRO head was used to print with soluble supports made of PVA and to create color gradients. The project uses only biodegradable filaments.

Ready-made shoes created using a 3D printer

ZMorph 3D printer was used to create prototypes and design the production process. Soon it may also be used as a tool for creating final products available via the application. Gronowicz and Motylińska continue to test and improve their Shoetopia, which they want to turn into a business success. Their concept is distinguished by its pro-ecological attitude, but above all it impresses with the promise of easy design and 3D printing of your own unique shoes.