Heron Preston unveils first fully 3D-printed sneaker

By

Robin Driver

Published
Oct 5, 2021

American luxury streetwear label Heron Preston has teamed up with tech company Zellerfeld to launch the Heron01, the first fully 3D-printed shoe available to the public.

 
Created without factories or a supply chain, the shoe is made from a single material, doing away with the need for seams, stitching and toxic glues. The Heron01 is therefore fully recyclable, meaning that Zellerfeld can turn the shoe into material for new footwear in a closed-loop system.
 
The recyclability of the footwear opens the door to a wide range of exciting new possibilities for footwear design and manufacture, including the potential for customers to “update” their shoes by reprinting them in a newer version.

“The Heron01 is just the beginning – with additive manufacturing, the potential is unlimited,” commented brand founder Heron Preston in a release. “I was able to design & print functional and evolving prototypes in hours – with traditional manufacturing, this would have taken months. I can’t wait to print more shoes and updates.”
 
The Heron01 can be printed in standard sizes and can also be custom fitted by performing a foot scan with an iPhone, enabling quick and easy personalization and fit optimization.
 
Founded by a group of engineering students in 2015, Zellerfeld developed the Heron01 in collaboration with Heron Preston over the course of more than a year.
 
Three colorways of the Heron01 are available to purchase on StockX starting October 5. As part of the platform’s Campaign for a Cause, Heron01 purchasers who make a $10 donation are entered into a raffle giving them the chance to join Zellerfeld’s Beta Program, which will entitle them to one free update of their shoes in the future.
 
There will also be a limited release of the shoe for beta testers on the Zellerfeld website.