Footwear is quickly becoming one of the most active and promising applications for additive manufacturing (AM).What once seemed experimental—midsoles and concept shoes—is now expanding into full products, new materials, and scalable production platforms.Recent developments across the industry point to this shift.
From new 3D printed shoe launches shown at CES and material innovations designed specifically for footwear performance, to companies building end-to-end manufacturing platforms, 3D printing is moving more into how shoes are designed, made, and delivered.Together, these developments show growing interest in 3D printing as a new way to design and manufacture footwear.Zellerfeld Prepares to Scale 3D Printed Footwear Zellerfeld, a company focused on fully 3D printed footwear, announced two senior leadership hires as it scales up its manufacturing platform.
The company named Matthew DeNezza as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Sean McCartney as Chief Operating Officer (COO), showing the company is getting ready to scale.DeNezza most recently served as CFO of Crusoe, where he helped scale a capital-intensive AI infrastructure and data center business into a multi-billion-dollar platform.At Zellerfeld, he will oversee finance, accounting, and capital strategy as the company expands production and deepens partnerships with global brands.
Meanwhile, McCartney brings extensive experience in footwear, supply chain, and global commerce.He previously led global supply chain operations at StockX and held senior roles at Chico’s FAS and Radial, managing large, high-volume e-commerce and logistics networks.At Zellerfeld, he will oversee manufacturing and operational execution.
Matthew DeNezza Sean McCartney This move suggests Zellerfeld is getting ready to grow.Appointing a CFO with experience in large, capital-heavy businesses could mean that Zellerfeld is getting ready for large funding rounds and more structured financials as it scales.Also, bringing in a COO with experience in global footwear and supply chains shows the company is preparing for higher production volumes and real manufacturing, not just small pilot projects.
The hires come as Zellerfeld increases U.S.-based production and expands its 3D printed footwear operations, including a recently opened production hub in Texas.The company positions its approach as an alternative to traditional footwear manufacturing, replacing tooling and overseas factories with automated, on-demand production.STARAY’s 3D Printed Integrated Shoes As evidenced by this news from Zellerfeld, people are really starting to take 3D printed footwear seriously.
One recent example is Hangzhou Staray Technology Co., Ltd (STARAY), a Chinese 3D printing consumer technology brand that was apparently the talk of the town at the recent CES 2026 in Las Vegas due to its 3D printed integrated shoes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by #3DShoes 3D Printed Shoes (@3dshoesdotcom) Founded in 2020, STARAY’s brand philosophy is “Less, but better,” which is music to our ears during a time of overconsumption and fast fashion.One of the many positive things 3D printing has going for it in terms of consumer goods and clothing is the ability to customize products for people.If successfully adopted at scale, this could mean no more warehouses full of goods waiting to be purchased, but most likely ending up in a landfill.
STARAY’s shoes are said to be fully 3D printed in a single piece, making them breathable, lightweight, and easy to maintain and clean, while also reducing waste.The company uses the technology to improve the “wearing experience,” focusing more on comfort during daily movement rather than an inventive appearance.The company won the Best Media Impact Innovation Award at CES, meaning it displayed strong PR and storytelling.
Its booth featured several stations where people could try the shoes on, and there were also live visualizations of the sole’s lattice structures under pressure, as well as guided smartphone foot scans.Multiple reports from CES attendees seem to verify the brand’s focus on comfort and walkability, with people calling them flexible, “minimalist but purposeful,” and snug without being tight.In fact, many orders for the slip-on shoes were placed onsite at the company’s CES booth, which is a pretty ringing endorsement: anyone who’s spent all day walking the floor at a huge industry trade show will have sore feet! Siraya Tech’s Roamr for High-Performance Wearables You can’t have good shoes, 3D printed or otherwise, without good materials.
That’s where companies like Siraya Tech come in.A leader in advanced 3D printing materials, including high-performance resins, silicone, and specialized filaments, Siraya Tech just launched a special sub-brand called Roamr that’s focused entirely on high-performance wearables.Its debut offering is TPU Air HR, or High Rebound, calibrated specifically for 3D printed shoes.
“The name Roamr comes from the word “Roam” — to wander, to walk, to explore,” the company writes on its website.“We removed the final “e” not only as a nod to modern, minimalist technology design, but also to emphasize continuous motion and energy.Footwear and wearable products are the tools humans use to explore the world — and Roamr is the core material that powers that journey.” Close-up of a 3D printed sneaker sole flexing on pavement.
It highlights the flexible durability and active rebound of Roamr material, demonstrating its superiority over standard TPU for functional wearable technology and athletic gear.The idea behind TPU Air HR is to achieve an optimal balance between softness and rebound, so wearers can enjoy professional-grade support in their 3D printed shoes.The company says the new material offers 48%–50% rebound with each step, and has two hardness options: Roamr 80A (Comfort Specialist) Great for high-damping liners and midsoles Available in Beige and Noir Roamr 85A (Performance Standard) Durable formulation for structural uppers and outsoles Available in Noir Siraya Tech discovered that current foaming materials on the market have their good qualities, but still aren’t quite right for daily walking shoes.
TPU Air is easy to print, as well as lightweight, but it doesn’t have the necessary energy return you want from your shoes.On the flip side, PEBA Air has great rebound, but it’s stiff, so not really comfortable.Roamr TPU Air HR is a foamed TPU that supposedly offers both softness and rebound, made for walking (cue Nancy Sinatra).
A spool of Siraya Tech Roamr Black (ST5001) filament.This high energy return foaming TPU is specifically engineered for 3D printed footwear and insoles, featuring a new ST5 premium SKU series label.The company reports that by adjusting print parameters, you can tune the material’s surface hardness between 64A and 85A.
this variable hardness control enables multi-density zones within one part, while still keeping TPU’s natural flexibility.Thanks to ultralight active foaming, Roamr TPU Air HR can reduce the weight of shoes up to 50% (for 80A) and 57% (for 85A), and once it’s foamed, you’re supposed to get a professional, skin-friendly, textile-like finish.The Roamr sub-brand is optimized for large-scale, high-speed 3D printing with the full Bambu Lab series and the Snapmaker U1.
It’s currently available on Amazon US for $59.99-$61.99, depending on the color and hardness, and global shipping will start soon.Final Thoughts In 2025, the global footwear market size was valued at over $495 billion, with the 3D printed shoe market estimated at $1.64 billion in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 18.6% to reach $5.38 billion by 2030.A lot of this growth is being driven by an increased focus on sustainability and innovation – right up AM’s alley.
For the most part, 3D printed shoes are no longer experiments, but serious products that could crack the footwear industry wide open.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.Print Services Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
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