Dutch brand Botter collaborated with these two brands to produce these vibrant, 3D-printed shoes.
The Venus Comb, Murex Shell shoes were unveiled at this year’s Paris Fashion Week. Designed by Botter and Reebok, the sneakers were then produced by technology brand HP in Barcelona.
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The creation of the shoes involved the use of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) inserted into a Multi Jet Fusion 3D printer.
“The design started with a structure that mimicked seashell growth,” Botter said, as they landed on the murex shell for their final inspiration.
The brand also says that the design is connected to the Roman goddess Venus. It’s said that she used murex shells to comb her hair.
Its silhouette is a crossover between Botter’s Banker shoe and Reebok’s football boot.
The shoes were first made with gray TPU then hand-painted in either solid block colors or two-toned gradients. Colors were mostly nautical themed, to complement Botter’s Autumn Winter 2023 collection.
The whole development and manufacturing process took a total of only 15 days. This makes it much faster than traditional footwear manufacturing processes.
Along with the 3D-printed shoes, Botter presented bags made from recycled bicycle saddles at the fashion show. Models also wore jewelry made from upcycled toy cars.
On the collection, Botter says that they are “Approaching fashion with our self proclaimed Caribbean Couture spirit, creating something from nothing.”
The brand is known for their awareness on current social and environmental problems. They are especially passionate about the ocean’s health.
According to Botter’s website, the brand is “transforming the way we approach the classic fashion system to invest in the future.”
By 2022, they’ve planned to have 80% of their collection be made with plastic materials found in the ocean. The other 20% of their collection will be made with cotton and wool which are biodegradable materials.
Their garments are also mainly produced in Italy, Portugal, and Spain to reduce their carbon footprint.
Botter continues to spread the conversation about sustainability as seen in their latest collection.
Banner image via Instagram @reebok.
