The shoe of the summer time is undoubtedly the flip-flop. Straightforward on, straightforward off, your toes gained’t get sweaty as a result of there’s not a lot materials, they usually’re accessible in a veritable rainbow of colours. And, as with most forms of footwear nowadays, you possibly can use 3D printing to make flip-flops and different sandals. On the upcoming Copenhagen Trend Week in August, Brazilian flip-flop model Havaianas will debut its first 3D printed flip-flops, made in collaboration with Zellerfeld, a particular chief in 3D printed footwear.
Impressed by the standard Japanese Zori sandal, Havaianas was based in 1962. The model swapped out the material straps and woven rice straw soles for rubber, and in 1966, mum or dad firm Alpargatas registered the patent of its “world well-known rubber thong.” In 1980, the Brazilian authorities included Havaianas flip-flops on a listing of on a regular basis elementary merchandise to assist management inflation, and the sandals made their excessive trend debut in a 1999 Jean Paul Gaultier runway present.
Ladies’s Slim Sq. Fashionable Flip Flops by Havaianas. These will not be 3D printed.
“Bringing progressive applied sciences into the originality of our design has been important to strengthening our timeless aesthetic,” mentioned Ieda Pavani, world design director for Havaianas. “It’s a solution to honor our essence whereas connecting with new audiences who recognize authenticity, innovation, and worth.”
Zellerfeld has labored with its share of icons and well-known names, like Kanye West (Ye, Yeezy, Yeezle, no matter he’s calling himself right this moment), Moncler, and Chris Brown. The corporate has a proprietary, full-stack 3D printing course of that allows footwear to be printed in a single piece out of zellerFOAM, a specifically developed foaming TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). Zellerfeld’s footwear are mentioned to be 100% recyclable, breathable, and washable, in addition to odor resistant. They function a dense grid construction, which gives most consolation and softness—options that Havaianas additionally guarantees.
Cornelius Schmitt, CEO and co-founder of Zellerfeld, mentioned, “I’m thrilled that Zellerfeld is collaborating with the world’s most iconic flip-flop model to carry flip-flops into the period of 3D printing.”
The Havaianas innovation group collaborated with Zellerfeld each step of the way in which in the course of the design course of. Collectively, they got here up with a brand new silhouette for the Brazilian model’s well-known sandals, however with out sacrificing what makes Havaianas flip-flops particular. The Havaianas x Zellerfeld includes a new sculpted toe cap, however stored the footbed’s recognizable rice grain texture, and reinterpreted the strap—nonetheless in the identical place—with a extra rounded form.
“Along with Havaianas, we now have labored onerous to develop this design have created a brand new split-toe silhouette that may lay the inspiration for future printed flip-flops, opening up new potentialities,” Schmitt mentioned. “This isn’t only a collaboration, however one other vital step in direction of a future the place all footwear shall be printed. Who wouldn’t need custom-made flip-flops?”
A sketch of the Havaianas 3D printed flip-flops
Zellerfeld, primarily based in San Francisco and Hamburg, is backed by some massive traders, like SpaceX and Tesla. The corporate created a brand new infrastructure for manufacturing footwear, changing extra conventional provide chains with platform-driven commerce and real-time, personalized manufacturing. With its automated, on-demand, and waste-free manufacturing, Zellerfeld’s platform has the potential to switch conventional instruments and factories. This could possibly be an enormous enterprise alternative, because the world footwear market is predicted to succeed in $500.55 billion in income this yr. What’s extra, non-luxury footwear are mentioned to contribute to 92% of those gross sales, and nothing could possibly be farther from a luxurious shoe than flip-flops…besides possibly Crocs.
When it comes to the 3D printed footwear market, 5 years in the past Additive Manufacturing Analysis (previously SmarTech Evaluation) estimated that it will attain $4.2 billion in revenues by this yr. I don’t understand how a lot of that’s represented by 3D printed flip-flops; you’d suppose it will be a major quantity. In 2023, Govt Editor Joris Peels mentioned that 3D printing the entire shoe was problematic and dear, however that 3D printing sandals and flip-flops was “a wonderfully viable 3D printed footwear product for the lots,” as a result of just one materials and little or no labor could be wanted. Plus, as a result of it’s such a low construction, a flip-flop is a reasonably cost-effective print.
However, as Peels additionally famous, there haven’t been many profitable manufacturers constructed round 3D printed flip-flops. The truth is, FitMyFoot, beforehand generally known as Wiivv Wearables, was as soon as a significant proponent of {custom} 3D printed flip-flops. However this winter, the corporate determined to drop its sandals, and since then has been operating a “Sandal Ship-Off Sale” and promoting its flip-flops for 50% off, noting that “as soon as they’re gone, they’re gone for good.”
“A lot of the 3D printed efforts have been merely not promoted properly sufficient and didn’t attain a large viewers. Others appeared horrible or have been poorly made. Typically nobody has appeared to make model, a good suggestion and design come to life within the minds of many. This can be a easy enterprise alternative however getting it proper gained’t be straightforward,” Peels wrote.
Perhaps Havaianas and Zellerfeld would be the ones to get it proper. Beginning in September, the brand new 3D printed Havaianas x Zellerfeld shall be accessible in 5 colours, for buy solely on the Zellerfeld web site.
Subscribe to Our E-mail E-newsletter
Keep up-to-date on all the newest information from the 3D printing trade and obtain info and gives from third social gathering distributors.
Add your 3D Fashions and get them printed rapidly and effectively.
