Your Future Shoes May Be 3D Printed

Many things can be made with the help of 3D printing. The technology has matured very well over the past several years. So much so, that we are now able to print complex objects with metallic or composite properties. This can dramatically reduce the time needed during the prototyping or manufacturing phases. And now, this same tech is being adopted for shoe production.

Chris Margetts, a 20 year veteran of the shoe design business in London, has taken it upon himself to revolutionize the way shoes are made. The industry’s need to constantly find ways of lowering manufacturing costs has been to the determent of the working conditions of factory workers and the impact on the environment. That’s what makes Chris’s approach so much more valuable.

Credit: The Sole Theory

In collaboration with Wargön Innovation, his project has ambitious plans to use nanocellulose as a 3D-printable material. Developed through Stockholm University’s research, the raw material, which is fully recyclable, could be used as the building blocks of future shoes. This way, they can be made if and when needed, negating the need for over stocking by manufacturers.

It’s a novel concept, is is one that requires proper funding before it can be fully realized. His company, The Sole Theory and partners are looking for investments to start with 3D prototyping production. Should this dream become a reality, manufacturing processes surrounding shoe production could change for the better, resulting in the reduction of wastefulness.

Chris’s company, The Sole Theory, is in the business of producing environmentally friendly shoes. Instead of the usual raw materials used by the major manufacturing firms, his, utilizes recycled plastic collected from the sea and pineapple leaves. His championing for an ‘improved’ shoe industry is a noble cause, and is one that could change the way we look at shoes forever.