Will the biodegradable shoe solve fashion’s pollution problem?
Simplifyber prints biodegradable shoes using a 3D printer
Simplifyber is a startup that was founded by Maria Intscher-Owrang, who previously served as a designer for such fashion houses as Alexander McQueen and Vera Wang. Her company is attempting to tackle the fashion problem by creating biodegradable 3D printed shoes.
While the technology may sound like something borrowed from the future, the production is relatively straightforward. The shoe is made from a single material – liquid cellulose that is poured into a single 3D printed mold.
As the material hardens, it turns into a single, completed, biodegradable sneaker. Not only is the shoe waste-reducing, but the same can be said about the process in which it is made.
Cutting and stitching inevitably creates scrap fabric that is bound to turn to waste, however, in the case Simplifyber, the amount of cellulose used is precisely the amount required for one shoe. Moreover, if the material has to be dyed, the color can be added while the material is still liquid, thus saving water.
