Footwea Projects Integrating Filament-Reinforced Skeletal Structures in 3D-Printed Footwear

TEF Braids offers a critical missing element to the 3D-printed footwear ecosystem: a performance textile backbone that brings comfort, durability, and structural intelligence to bio-based printed shoes. 

These projects demonstrate the potential of integrating filament-reinforced skeletal structures in 3D-printed footwear to achieve a balance between flexibility, support, and sustainability.

3D Fabric-Printed Patterns by 4TU.Design United

Researchers at 4TU.Design United explored printing rigid materials onto flexible fabrics to create structures that can be folded into wearable shoes. This method allows for the creation of a skeletal framework that provides both structure and flexibility, facilitating sustainable and customizable footwear production. Federatie

Welded Loop Project

Dutch designers Suzanne Oude Hengel and Joris de Groot developed the Welded Loop project, creating shoes entirely from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). They combined knitting techniques with 3D printing and high-frequency welding to produce a recyclable shoe with a unified skeletal structure, eliminating the need for adhesives. 3Printr.com

Pleko Spike Shoes by CRP Technology

CRP Technology introduced the Pleko spike shoes, which are 3D printed as a single unit using a carbon fiber-filled composite material called Windform® SP. This approach creates a lightweight yet robust skeletal structure that enhances performance and durability. windform.com+1

Auxetic Wear by WertelOberfell

The design studio WertelOberfell developed a 3D-printed shoe utilizing an auxetic structure—a pattern that expands and contracts to adapt to the foot's movements. This design incorporates a skeleton-like base that reinforces the auxetic structure, providing both flexibility and support. Designboom+1