Designed specifically for printing on an SLS S2 system from SLS 3D

printer manufacturer Sintratec, the claw-like shoe will enable wearers

to walk in the footsteps of so-called “Cryptids” such as Bigfoot or the
Loch Ness monster and, “leave traces like a Cryptid would do,”
Henrich says.

The shoe was specially designed for printing on the Sintratec S2 SLS
system, which is composed of a laser sintering station, material core
unit, and a material handling station to enable users to seamlessly
switch from one process step to another.

The system has previously been used within automotive applications,

such as by Daimler for the 3D printing of bus and truck spare parts,
and a student team at ETH Zurich who designed a functional electric
motorbike using the system. Now, Henrich is utilizing the S2 to fully 3D
print his unique shoe design in order to allow the shoe to be
customized to an individual wearer’s foot.

Specializing in design for additive manufacturing, Henrich describes

his work as sitting “at the section of architecture, narration, design,
and robotics.” Having previously carried out numerous 3D printing and
robotics design projects, he made the Community Advocate of the
Year shortlist for the 2021 3D Printing Industry Awards last November.

For his most recent project, Henrich leveraged Sintratec’s S2 3D printer and
flexible TPE material to create his unique mythical shoe design. The Cryptide
sneaker consists of a sole with an open design which is 3D printed together
with an upper shoe of a similar texture and fit to that of a sock. The shoe
was printed in Sintratec’s TPE elastomer material due to the material’s
superior flexible properties.
Using the S2, Henrich was able to vary the wall thickness of different
elements of the Cryptide shoe, making some parts stiffer, such as the sole,
while others remained soft and flexible. According to Henrich, this not only
made the shoe ergonomic but also more comfortable to wear.

While Henrich has unveiled his completed creature-like Cryptide 3D printed

shoe, it is unclear whether the sneaker will become available for purchase
to the general public to “walk like a Cryptid” any time soon.

The claw-like design is based on mythical creatures called Cryptids. Photo

via Sintratec.

3D printing has been used for some time to realize various innovative
footwear designs, both within sporting and fashion contexts. German
sportswear giant Adidas, for example, has continued to work with 3D printer
manufacturer Carbon to release new iterations of its 3D printed 4DFWD
midsole, while CRP Technology has created a unique athletics track
shoe using its 3D printing capabilities and Windform SP carbon fiber
material.