Loopy - the closed loop shoe - European Commission
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WORTH Partnership Project
  • Project

Loopy - the closed loop shoe

Loopy is a bold concept for modular, upgradable 3D-printed shoes. Produced locally, parts are printed worldwide, wherever customers are. A step into the future of footwear.

Loopy - the closed loop shoe

The message of the project

Shoes are often seen as a single object, but they’re made up of many parts. When one part breaks, the entire shoe is discarded. This logic creates an interdependent economy, where it doesn’t make sense to create long-lasting components, like a 10-year insole, if other parts will wear out in less than two years. Project Loopy challenges this by creating modular shoes with interoperable parts that can be repaired, reassembled, and upgraded.

The idea behind the project

Additive manufacturing, powered by cutting-edge AI form-finding software like Ntopology, is set to disrupt traditional footwear supply chains. It has the potential to reshape relationships between customers, brands, and manufacturers, as well as redefine what a shoe is. Project Loopy is an exploratory mission into this uncharted territory. The team believes that AI-driven design capabilities will enable the creation of a new wave of high-performance meta-materials, which will be key in encouraging consumers to switch to 3D-printed shoes.

What next?

After its debut in Milan, the project aims to engage with industry leaders, media, consumers, and VCs to find those willing to pioneer this concept. Another avenue being explored is whether a decentralised footwear brand could operate as a DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organisation), becoming the first footwear company entirely based on blockchain technology.

Projects Edition
  • WORTH Partnership Projects II
Project Call
  • 3rd Call Projects
Project Sector
  • Footwear
Project Challenge
  • Circular Economy
  • Digital manufacturing

Stakeholders

Coordinators

Caspar Böhme (lead partner)

Address
Germany

Puntozero SRL (Additive manufacturing)

Address
Italy