The world’s first 360° breathable waterproof 3D printed shoes

Be it a limited collection of designer shoes or just a 3D printed midsole in mass-produced sneakers, additive manufacturing is steadily making its way deeper into the world of footwear production. Both big brands and smaller companies are opting for 3D printing when creating their shoes because this technology allows to innovate in more than just one way: from designs that were previously impossible to new and modified materials that were never used before. Recently, a new advancement in additively manufactured footwear was presented – the world’s first 360° breathable waterproof 3D printed shoes, Bisca 360, developed by LuxCreo.

Different shoe companies have different preferences when selecting a 3D printing technology that corresponds best with their design and manufacturing needs. For instance, Adidas used DLS (Digital Light Synthesis) and partnered with Carbon, Nike works with EOS and Prodways for SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) incorporation. Meanwhile, LuxCreo used their own patented technology called Light Enabled Additive Production or LEAP.

All image credits: LuxCreo

Founded in 2016, LuxCreo provides ultra-fast large-scale additive manufacturing, and covers materials, software, and hardware elements of the production. Based in Silicon Valley and Beijing, LuxCreo Lab is an award-winning company and offers solutions in sectors such as athletics, medical, consumer goods, robotics, automotive, and aerospace. According to the company, its patent LEAP 3D printing process is 100 times faster (at 120cm/hour) than most of the conventional 3D printing technologies, and has better material properties.