About Shoetopia

Ever dream of a shoe that fits you perfectly, can be easily repaired when damaged, and, if you throw it away, decomposes within a few years? With the goal of creating more sustainable footwear, 'Shoetopia,' an innovative sneaker production system, is proposing just that. Addressing problems such as excess and waste in production, pollution or labor exploitation, the designers have tried to re-imagine what the distribution of goods could look like. Why not sell perfectly fitted shoes as a file, to be 3D-printed locally and personally, in just the amount needed? The core of the project is a personalized parametric model, based on the user's foot dimensions. It works within a dedicated web customizer and is complemented by a measuring app. Ultimately, users could personalize their shoes' visuals, materialize them in a local 3D-printing center or, optionally, print and assemble themselves at home. The base shoe design consists of a resilient openwork sole and an upper part, created by printing directly onto fabric. The shoes would be assembled without gluing or sewing, so that certain elements can be exchanged when needed. The material combination used and recommended for this project is a starch-based flexible filament with natural textile, making it completely biodegradable. What makes the idea stand out from the crowd of 3D-printed footwear is the emphasis on taking the whole product life cycle into account during the design process and encouraging active user participation. The belief behind Shoetopia is that if you participate in the product's creation, you will be more attached to it and therefore more likely to respect its value. 'Shoetopia' is not just about fancy appearance; it’s about putting innovative technology to a good use.