Two designer brands, Dior and Botter (the latter in collaboration with Reebok and HP), presented 3D printed shoes at Paris Fashion Week, one of the most important fashion events in the world. This is far from the first time that 3D printed shoes have been featured at the event. During the last show in 2022, Zellerfeld's YZY boots were presented.

Dior shoes caught our eye in particular as shoes that look a little more practical than other 3D printed shoes we've seen on the runways. Luckily, the brand has shared a video detailing the design and manufacturing process, which appears to show the shoe being 3D printed using a powder coated cladding process.

“Apart from the visual aspect,” says Dior in his video, “what we were interested in here is that after the tongue is unfastened and the soles and laces are removed, 80% of the material can be fully reused for other purposes. This is a circular approach. It's continuous. This is virtuous!”

While fashion week window displays likely won't start hitting store shelves, the inclusion of 3D printed clothing in fashion weeks around the world with increasing regularity may be indicative of the progress that 3D printing is making in mainstream end-use applications. The shoe industry in particular has been using additive manufacturing for some time now to produce custom shoes at an affordable price. Notable here is Adidas, which has been retailing shoes with 3D printed soles for years, most recently the Ultra 4D, which sold for $220 at release.

For more information on Dior shoes, see her Instagram. Likewise with Botter's collaboration.