Inspired by nature, firm launches 3D-printed footwear collection

Combining technology with fashion, a firm has used 3D-printing to print shoes inspired by nature.

Being more innovative, footwear brand Ica & Kostika have used 3D-printing technology to create a range of shoes, which it dubbed as its ‘Exobiology’ collection. The firm has designed the shoes that will fit the wearer’s natural foot shape.

Inspired from nature, the shoes are shaped and named as Seahorse, Coral, and Vertebrae. Co-founder Ica Paru said, “This collection is a celebration of the natural systems that create beautiful intricacies and how we can go beyond nature to create a form engineered to our desires, something otherworldly.”

Though the shoes appear to be a bit rigid, but according to Ica & Kostika, comfort was their first priority hence, the 3D-printed shoes fit perfectly providing a comfortable experience. The shoes were designed to complement the natural shape and curve of the foot, while also challenging what a normal heel can look like.

For making the shoes, the firm 3D-printed them in Nylon 12 and finish them with automotive grade electroplating. The result was lightweight, durable and long-lasting shoes.

The Seahorse shoe was designed by the animal’s ‘beautiful skeletal structure’, whereas the Spine shoe imitates the ‘vertebrae to create a continuous form along the foot’. The Coral was designed with the branching of a sea fan in mind.

Moreover, according to the firm, only a handful number of shoes will be made with the prices available on request. To order a pair, the wearer would have to download an app and scan or take images of their feet. The company will then map the foot to create the perfect fit.