Look, I can appreciate a 3D printed heat sink as much as the next trade show visitor, but show me a 3D printed shoe that's not only pretty but comfortable, and the usual grey powders and parts can wait.
At Formnext this week, Sam and I have been prowling halls 11 and 12 of Frankfurt Messe in search of additive manufacturing applications to fill the pages of our new look TCT Magazine. The Carbon stand, then, where Application Engineer Andrew Sink gave me a tour of the company's numerous success stories across sports and consumer goods, was an easy win.
The Silicon Valley 3D printing company has cemented its position in both areas through high-profile projects with the likes of adidas and Puma, alongside sporting brands such as Riddell and Fizik. Its presence at last year's event was more akin to a modern store front as opposed to a traditional trade show booth; and that's very intentional.
This year, visitors can see a version of the monster-inspired Mostro 3.D. shoe from PUMA's collaboration with A$AP Rocky; adidas' CLIMACOOL slip on, which is printed in a foaming material that expands to size during a thermal cure cycle; and, most exciting, to this editor at least, is a slip on kitten heel shoe by designer Alexander Wang.
To look at, you'd be forgiven for presuming these were just another pair of concept heels printed in hard plastic that not even queen-of-the-ABS-stiletto Barbie herself could abide by. However, a combination of material science and smart lattice design has made it so that these shoes - named Griphoria - are some of the most comfortable I've seen to date.
The Griphoria has been created with the help of Hilos and 3D printed by digital manufacturing company Prototek using Carbon's Digital Light Synthesis technology. Per a LinkedIn post from Hilos, it's described as a 'duo-print construction', meaning the upper and midsole have been made from just two materials; a single EPU46 print for the upper and insole, which uses lattices to combine different hardness and densities across the build, and a rigid RPU70 resin for the heel. The finish is incredibly detailed with a subtle texture across the upper, while smooth and plush in precisely the places you would expect comfort along the insole.
"We're really at a point now where you're seeing it everywhere - in fashion, in running, in casual shoes, in shoes that offer customization," Sink told TCT. "It's a great time for applications in 3D printing. And footwear - it's such a natural fit."
The Griphoria shoes were shown as part of Alexander Wang's spring 2026 collection at New York Fashion week in September. And if I have my way, they'll also be on the purple carpet at the TCT Awards in Boston next year ...
