Recreus Introduces Sneakerbot II Flexible 3D Printed Shoes Using Filaflex Filament.

When some people think about the future that they expected to see today, they imagine what they thought the future would be like back in the 80’s. For example, the movie Back to the Future featured many cool technologies which back then people likely believed would be in existence by 2014. Recreus’s Sneakerbot II 3D printed shoes seem to fit the mold of what a person living in the 80’s may think style would have been like today.

Recreus is a Spanish company specializing in 3D printer filament. They are known for their unique filament, called Filaflex, for its ability to bend, and crumble up, without losing its original printed out shape. Unlike the average 3D printer filament on the market today Filaflex is extremely flexible, meaning that it can be used in many new applications which traditional hard plastic-like filaments could never be used.

One example of this would be shoes, and that’s just what Recreus has done here. The shoe looks part retro, part futuristic, and can be stored in your back pocket once printed. Recreus has made the 3D model of the sneaker, free for all to download. In order to print them though, you will need to purchase their Filaflex filament as well as a special extruder and hot end made specifically for the filament.  Both parts prevent the filament from clogging the extruder, and jamming up.

The designer of the sneakers is a man named Ignacio Garcia who was inspired to create these unique pieces by 80’s films such us, “Back To The Future,” “Starwars,” and “Short Circuit.” The sneakers can be printed with a varying degree of infill, meaning you can make them softer or harder based on your needs.

There are certainly many possible uses that will eventually be realized for Filaflex filament, including both in prosthetics, as well as every day hobbyist applications.   Discuss these sneakers and the new filament at 3dprintboard.  Watch as Recreus prints out their new Sneakerbot II’s:

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