Rains x Zellerfeld collab advances 3D footwear printing

Scandi lifestyle brand Rains has linked up with printing tech specialist Zellerfeld to debut its first 3D-printed shoe. Previewed during its AW23 fashion show in Paris, the brand said it’s a “first-of-its-kind silhouette” that mixes air with all the usual benefits that come with 3D-printed pieces.

The collab has produced “an archetypal boot, which highlights a completely new silhouette and technology features for 3D-printed footwear,” Rains explained.

Called the ‘Puffer Boot’, the company thinks it marks the start of “an exciting future for Rains as a leading fashion brand venturing into a new era of footwear following their success and achievements in lifestyle outerwear”.

Rains is known for its “conceptual-yet-functional design approach” and the new shoe continues that tradition. The company said it has created an “organic shape with an intentional sculptural appearance reminiscent of a stone carving”. It also features a newly developed 3D-printed puffer element on the instep, which is “reminiscent of the Rains design language”. 

That puffer element is made up of 90% air within the printed structures, which is interesting as it means Zellerfeld has created yet another feature to its 3D-printing technology that enables printing puffer elements into footwear. 

The companies said the puffer elements and oversized shape “show a new dimension of possibilities for footwear”. And the shoe also keeps all the benefits of 3D printing (mono-material, fully recyclable, no stitches or gluing of components or human construction required).