Leading innovator Zellerfeld is disrupting the fashion industry (yet again) with a groundbreaking take on 22nd-century thinking and making. Pursuing the democratization of footwear, the company has unveiled an open beta and circular 3D-printed scheme that allows users to access and reimagine 15 exclusive designs unrestrictedly.

The distinctive portfolio includes silhouettes by established brands and new-gen creatives such as Heron Preston, KidSuper, MLLN or Khamis Studio. Besides, building on their slogan “Printed, not made,” the newly announced service guarantees many eco-conscious benefits, such as fully recyclable mono-materials and factory-free shoes, which eliminates sweatshops and human rights violations from the supply chain.

In a statement, Cornelius Schmitt, Co-Founder and CEO of Zellerfeld, noted: “Zellerfeld is the future of the footwear industry. We’re proud to be breaking down the barriers to entry for designers to zero and to offer a platform that enables experimentation. This is a revolution in footwear and we’re proud of taking a stand against the status quo while providing an ethical, sustainable, and design-led future for footwear.”

With a seed run investment of $15 million USD from Founders Fund, Zellerfeld dedicated some whopping seven years to the research and development of the project, in particular, exploring proprietary printers, software, materials, and print-farm design. However, this scalable 3D-printed closed-loop production process can eliminate the traditional upfront costs per shoe design.

Zellerfeld stated, “With our contrarian approach to footwear manufacturing, we are especially proud that our technology is now backed by Founders Fund, a partner we deeply admire for regularly playing pivotal roles in funding core technology projects that reshape our present society and future.”

Prices for the 3D-printed silhouettes range from $250–370 USD and can be customized prior to ordering. There are also different colors one can choose from, such as vibrant reds, oranges and blues or minimal blacks, grays and whites. All 15 pairs can be printed to the shape of each individual foot using a phone scan.

They also feature a unibody construction with no glue, seams or weak points. Furthermore, the 3D mesh-made designs are machine washable and free of harmful textiles, leather, and rubbers. Zellerfeld also offers an update and recycle system to get ongoing new versions and return old pairs for recycling.

Take a look at the different styles in the gallery above. The exclusive 3D-printed silhouettes are now available to purchase from Zellerfeld’s open beta platform. And, in news of other footwear firsts, VEJA has branched out into unfamiliar territory with its inaugural hiking shoe.