14 DAY TRIAL // It is a relatively well known fact that supermodels have the uncanny ability to walk in almost anything, clothing and footwear alike. It's why so many articles of clothing in fashion shows look downright bizarre.
Sometimes, that strangeness comes at the expense of ease of use. We are no strangers to instances of models tripping and crashing into the strip after all.
The new shoes that fashion designer Francis Bitonti put together aren't quite as awkward to wear and walk in as some others we've seen, especially since they're not spike heels, exactly.
Also, Bitonti did not need to put a challenge in front of models this time. To dare them to successfully walk the strip without stumbling.
You see, the design and method of manufacture of the shoes had enough shock and awe factor all on its own, even without the one that would be produced if the heels were particularly thin.
The 3D printed footwear resembling corals
Francis Bitonti collaborated with Adobe for the production of the new, super-modern line of shoes, choosing 3D printing technology as the manufacturing method.
He has created the Molecule shoes, or at least plans for them. A proof of concept pair did get displayed at the London 3D Printshow (September 2014), but that's it as far as physical presence goes, for now.
The shoes are actually meant to be sold, instead of just one-day-wonders at fashion shows. He wants his skills in “disruptive manufacturing” to leave a mark on the world, you see.
Each shoe in the collection uses a unique structural configuration to render a different system, thus supporting the body differently every time.
The shoes in the attached gallery look rather like they have the soles and heels made of coral, which is surprising since we'd have expected something more blocky. Bitonti, after all, was an architect before he became a fashion designer, not a nature explorer.
Future fashion plans involving 3D printing
Francis Bitonti hasn't spoken overmuch about them, but with the substantial reductions in 3D printing and material costs, you can be sure he will be all over this segment for quite a while. He's actually been keeping 3D printing technology in sight since 2007.
It's not just shoes he's making either, but also clothes, like the 3D printed gown worn by fashion model Dita von Teese earlier this year.
He's not alone in his interest though. Why, just the other day we came upon a dress that had been 3D printed. And not using just any technique, but a 3Doodler 3D printing pen. That's right, the dress was 3D printed by hand.
Male headdresses might also catch your fancy, although they don't have much going for them other than the high weirdness factor.
