Auxetic Wear: Shoes That Continue To Adapt to You

Designed by WertelOberfell, Auxetic Wear is a new footwear concept that combines 3D printing with the flexibility of auxetic materials to create a shoe that adapts to your feet throughout the day. Unlike elastic, which becomes thinner when stretched, an auxetic material expands itself when pulled. For footwear, this is an ideal material because feet typically do not stay the same throughout the day – they swell and expand depending on use. WertelOberfell and assistant Rebecca Meixner designed an auxetic shoe that solves this pain point.

The Auxetic Wear boot adapts to the user by expanding or compressing on a local level. Through multiple iterations and testing, the designers came up with a base structure, similar to that of a skeleton. This structure supports the auxetic pattern and acts as reinforcement where the individual components of the boot come together. The auxetic structure is 3D printed with a strong TPU (thermoplastic polyurethanes), glued together, then stitched onto the sole, no different to traditional shoe-making craftsmanship.The final result is a modern boot that seems patterned for aesthetics but was designed for all-day comfort.

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