2014 Miss America Parade to Feature First Ever 3D Printed Shoes, Thanks to Maggie Bridges and Georgia Tech

Growing up literally 10 minutes outside of Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Miss America Pageant and Parade was a huge deal for the area. It was a tradition of sorts. Every September for the last 88 years representatives from each of the 53 states and territories gather together to compete in several competitions, which include the following categories: Lifestyle and Fitness(Swimsuit), Talent, Evening Wear, Private Interview, and the On-Stage Question. Fashion plays a huge role in determining who is crowned the next Miss America.

Almost as much of an attention grabber as the pageant itself, the Miss America Parade is also a hit among spectators. The parade, now called the “Miss America ‘Show Us Your Shoes’ Parade” got its name from one particular event in the 1970’s, where spectators began yelling “Show us your shows” as contestants passed by.

The ‘Show us Your Shoes’ parade will feature decorative floats, bands, military heroes and more, with the center of it all being the shoes of the 53 contestants. The women use the parade as a way to show their pride, creativity, and personality via the elaborate fashion showcased on their feet.

Maggie Bridges, Miss Georgia

One contestant this year, Miss Georgia, Maggie Bridges, who happens to be a student at Georgia Tech, got quite a bit of help from some of her fellow students on her shoe design. In what will be the world’s first partially 3D printed shoes to ever set forth in the famous parade, Maggie Bridges will be making a bit of history.

The shoes, which are the creation of three students, Maren Sonne, Jordan Thomas and Julia Brooks, who were guided by Dr. Wayne Li, professor of industrial design, are simply put, incredible!

The design is based on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket mascot, the ‘Ramblin Wreck’. The ‘Ramblin Wreck’ is actually a 1930 Ford Model A Sport coupe, which leads the school’s football team into Bobby Dodd Stadium before each home game, and is present at all major sporting events and functions. To create the shoes, students used a variety of high tech manufacturing tools, which included 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines. Students 3D printed all the wheels, the acrylic for the white walls, and the four headlights on the pair of shoes.

“To say my shoes are perfect for the Miss America #ShowUsYourShoes parade is a mild understatement,” wrote Bridges on her Facebook fan page. “My design team of #industrialdesign students knocked this out of the park. Through #3Dprinting and #lasercutting technology, these @georgiatech students created a work of art that I have the privilege of wearing on September 13th in #AtlanticCity!”

The actual parade will take place at 5pm in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 13th, with the final competition and judging taking place the following evening. Tickets for the events are still available if you will be in the area. Remember to scream “show me your 3D printed shoes,” if you do happen to make it to the parade.

Let us know if you do attend the festivities, and discuss this story in the 3D Printed Miss America shoes forum thread on 3DPB.com.  Check out the video below provided by Georgia Tech, showing just what went into the production of these amazing shoes.