Whale-Inspired 3D Printed Shoe Released by Elastium x LaLaLand

3D printed shoes have been circulating in the footwear market for years. From high fashion shoes to running sneakers, we’ve seen many brands, including adidas, Dior, and ASICS, use 3D printing to create innovative products. LaLaLand Production and Design, California’s largest shoe manufacturer, is the latest company to experiment with the technology. They partnered with Elastium, a Los Angeles-based 3D printing startup, and have since released their first 3D printed shoe collaboration: The Orca.

The Orca shoe, with its smooth white soles and sleek black upper, clearly resembles its namesake. Even the sole’s curve midway through the shoe subtly suggests a fin. What’s special about the shoe, however, is not just its appearance. Its midsole, outsole, and upper were 3D printed using Elastium’s proprietary pellet-based technology called FIDEM. FIDEM provides shortcuts for the transition between 3D printing and traditional molding techniques, and this is the specialty of LaLaLand.

The 3D printing chambers where Elastium prints their shoes

They used thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in different forms to complete the shoe, using it as foam for the sole and elastic as the upper part of the shoe. Elastium’s proprietary foam has an energy return of over 75% (the amount of bounce inside the shoe after the foot lands on the ground). This cushioning also outperforms ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), a standard in footwear. TPU’s high flexibility and resistance make it ideal for creating shoes that must be flexible and durable. To assemble the shoe, the team used traditional techniques like stitching and 3D printing.