26 June 2022 - KidSuper has partnered with 3D printed sneaker developer Zellerfeld to create a new concept in trainers called 'Heal Your Sole, Heel Your Sole', a trainer designed for men using 3D printing technology. Heel Your Sole.
Heel Your Sole, Heel Your Sole, a new concept sneaker
A spin-off of the Play-Doh-inspired mule, inspired by the vintage men's chunky shoe.
The 3D printed shoe, which is bursting with fashion elements, has now been unveiled at KidSuper's Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show. The company also claims that it is an "all-in-one" heel that is not only strong and durable, but also environmentally friendly.
The shoe was unveiled at KidSuper's Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show
Because it is 3D printed, it can be designed in a single material, with the benefit of being 100% stitch and glue free and fully recyclable. Known in the industry for his unique artistic interpretation of fashion, KidSuper has a particular passion for portraiture, which has been used in past collections, such as his FW20 collection, which incorporates sculpted faces on the upper, and heel of the shoe.
△The classic portrait "face motif"
It is also technically very advanced. Although it is made from a single material, it features a variety of textures, material densities and design details, most notably a 'face' on the forefoot and heel that reflects KidSuper's continued love of classic portraiture, with an exaggerated Klein Blue-like colour scheme and KidSuper branding, giving it a highly mysterious look. The look is extremely mysterious. "Using 3D printing has allowed me to think completely outside the box. While designing the shoe, I kept reminding myself that anything is possible and there are no limits," says founder Colm Dillane. "Until now, this kind of design approach has never been seen in the shoe industry."
The 'all-in-one' heel
However, KidSuper and Zellerfeld's groundbreaking 3D-printed design is still in the concept stage and is not yet ready for mass production. However, Zellerfeld has worked with other designers such as Heron Preston and AMBUSH in the past, and the final product has been retailed, so these creative sneakers should not be long in coming. He likes to collect sneakers, but he hates the idea of having the same style. Also, the creation of a shoe usually requires a lot of upfront investment from the company, such as "lasts, moulds, etc., plus a lot of money spent on the design and after all that, it's not sold like hotcakes on the market."
Zellerfeld's 3D printed sneakers
He goes on to say, "I think the sneaker industry should be democratised. Designers should be free and they should dare to try new things, even if the shoes don't sell. Using 3D printing, we can reduce the cost from $500,000 to 0. Now, every business can try this new way of thinking about business, where the customer gives the business an order and we send them the shoes the next day."
With no minimum order and no upfront investment, we can make this free so that designers can experiment more and, at the same time, get consumers what they want. So, 3D printing technology could be a game changer for the shoemaking industry.
What do you think?
