OXMAN’s latest project is 100% biodegradable 3D printed shoes

O°, the latest project launched by Neri Oxman’s design lab OXMAN, invites us to imagine a more sustainable paradigm for product design and lifecycles. The project is based on the eponymous O° platform, which leverages a PHA-based biomaterial developed by the lab, digital design and robotic manufacturing to create textiles and wearable products that are 100% biodegradable. This first products made using this innovative platform are a collection of shoes.

While based on high-tech solutions,  O° (pronounced “O-Zero”) actually aims to simplify product design and creation. Whereas a conventional pair of shoes can be made from over 40 different materials, including foams, rubbers, fabrics, coatings and adhesives, O° footwear is made from a singular biomaterial and does not consume any petrochemicals or glues in its assembly. On top of that, by leveraging robotic manufacturing techniques like 3D knitting and 3D printing, the production process results in virtually no waste and can be completed nearly autonomously under one roof.

The first products that demonstrate OXMAN’s innovative new wearable production method are a series of shoes, which are made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), an organic thermoplastic material that is bacterially derived. OXMAN has leveraged various processing and production techniques to manipulate the organic and fully biodegradable material, including hot melt spinning, 3D knitting and 3D printing.

“PHAs have long been recognized as a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics,” explained Neri Oxman, CEO and Founder of OXMAN. “We have successfully elevated the potential of PHA through the development of O°, a new technology for the design and fabrication of products that seeks to minimize harm in its conception and nourish the environment in its afterlife. We are thrilled to unveil our first product using this new technology: the O° shoe, which is made using 100% PHA, is 100% biodegradable, and has no petrochemicals or microplastics.”

As Oxman notes, the 3D printed shoes produce no microplastics when they decompose: the nature of PHAs means that they eventually turn back into the bacteria that they are formed from, becoming “one with the environment” and leaving no trace. Don’t worry though, the shoes are not at risk of degrading while you’re wearing them.

Of course, the material is only a piece of the O° puzzle: design also plays an important role in the reimagining of product development. OXMAN’s experts leveraged kinetic data derived from human motion to create a functional and supportive footwear design. Each shoe is therefore composed of a knitted upper that is reinforced with 3D printed outer layers, which provide special functionalities like cushioning, strength, flexibility and more. The knitted base layer of the shoe is made using an industrial flatbed machine and a 100% PHA yarn (itself made in the lab using hot melt spinning), while the 3D printed reinforcing layers are made using the O° robotic system. OXMAN has also been experimenting with various bio-engineered dyes as an alternative to industrial petrochemical-based pigments.

“By using this knitting and printing technology to create shape and movement, OXMAN has eliminated the cut-and-sew and adhesion processes associated with traditional shoe assembly,” the design lab elaborates. “The O° technology offers a near zero-waste production process and requires minimal human involvement and intervention, enabling local, low-cost production, minimizing the transport cost and environmental impact of the distant supply chains typical of the shoe industry.”

The innovative project could be a game-changer as consumers increasingly look to buy more ethical and sustainable products. At this stage, OXMAN is reportedly in talks with potential partners and investors to scale up its O° platform and bring the 3D printed shoes and biodegradable textiles to market. You can see the project first hand in the video below: