#3DStartup: Act’ble Brings Comfort and Stability with 3D Printed Dance Shoes

Classical dance involves very specific techniques and movements, often associated with harmony and grace. Behind this idea, there is obviously a lot of work done by the dancers, efforts that of course can take a toll on the body itself. What instantly comes to mind of course are feet and specifically the balls, with dancers known for experiencing feelings of discomfort. This is one of the challenges being addressed by the young German startup act’ble: it has imagined custom-made ballet shoes – or pointe shoes – designed in part thanks to 3D printing. Indeed, the sole is manufactured layer by layer using TPU to bring more comfort and stability to the wearer as well as to reduce the environmental impact of the production process. We met with the team to learn more about this innovative product – it is certainly not everyday that you hear about the combination of ballet and 3D printing!

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and your connection to 3D printing?

a c t ‘ b l e is a young german company creating a new art of movement. Design and Research together with high level athletes leads to the development of a new pointe shoe with 3D-printed soles for classical ballet and contemporary. We want to enable dancers to make a difference in their performance, life and world. Due to advanced materials and their unique geometry, act’pointes outlast others in the market up to 5x longer than traditional pointe shoes.

Sophia Linder, the founder act’ble (photo credits: Jörg Donecker)

3DN: How did a c t ‘ b l e start?

Pointe shoes have been made for centuries in over a hundred traditional steps. Those shoes have a lifetime of one day in professional dance and represent an enormous health risk for the dancer. From a medical point of view an absolute torture method; from an environmental and economic point of view a disposable product. Our founder, Sophia Lindner, wanted to improve the life of ballet dancers by producing a completely new pointe shoe. The business idea was born in 2018 while Sophia Lindner was writing her bachelor thesis.