This week’s selection is the Balenciaga Zero Sandal Summer Shoes by MakerWorld contributor OLLESTORE.
3D printed footwear seems to be gathering momentum in both the commercial sense and also in the DIY 3D print world. This week’s selection is an unusual design for a sandal that almost anyone with a 3D printer can make.
The shoes are strongly inspired by a “real” shoe design, the Balenciaga Zero, shown below. The design is basically fully open, but the shoe is held to the foot via the big toe only.
This is a relatively easy 3D print to execute, but the issue is in the material. If you printed these in PLA, they’d be impossible to wear because they don’t flex. A TPU material is essential for successful sandals in this project.
However, it’s not just any TPU that can be used. The hardness of the TPU must be “just right”. If too stiff, then the sandal would be functionally equivalent to a solid PLA print. If too soft, then the sandal will wilt off the foot and also be unwearable.
OLLESTORE recommends Ninjaflex or a soft 90A TPU.
Another option is the increasingly available foaming filaments. These are solid until printed, when bubbles appear in the extrusion. This makes the material not only lighter, but also flexible. In the MakerWorld page, there are several makers who have attempted this method, to varying degrees of success.
If you’re looking for a summer sandal that can be 3D printed — and you have some soft TPU handy, this might be a great design to try.
Via MakerWorld
