Circular manufacturing development for production of customizable fashion footwear using 3D printing

Many problems in fashion originate from over consumerism and resulted in lower quality goods, poor working
conditions, and detrimental impact to the planet. The fashion industry has recently shifted toward better
environmental practices but focus has been on apparel because shoes are complex products. ARSHAE, located
in Montréal, proposes an end-to-end solution that accounts for the entire life cycle of shoes by building a closed
loop system that enables zero waste. ARSHAE focuses on using ecological materials in hyper-localized mini
factories powered by 3D printing.
3D printing is a highly interesting and disruptive solution presenting unlimited potential for the footwear industry.
Moreover, it has a potential to drastically reduce the time to market and deliver personalized shoes on demand
considering customer preferences and needs to unpreceded level. However, developments are still in its infancy
and a fully 3D printed shoe is challenging to achieve. Sofar, only few components of a shoe are 3D printed by
some by large global footwear companies.
Building on solid fashion design expertise and a comprehensive and solid review already performed by ARSHAE,
the company needs support on specific engineering expertise.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lucas Hof

Student:

Partner:

Arshae

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

École de technologie supérieure

Program: