These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
Cornelius Schmitt, CEO and co-founder of Zellerfeld, has grand ambitions: to put fully recyclable 3D-printed shoes “on every foot in the world.” The startup currently uses 200 3D printers of its own design to create custom-fitted shoes based on smartphone scans of the buyer’s feet. Each piece of futuristic footwear is made entirely of a single material, thermoplastic polyurethane, eliminating the sorting headaches that prevent mixed-material items from being recycled. At the end of their life—or the end of a season—the shoes can be sent back to Zellerfeld and turned into new designs. The company has worked with designers from Kanye West to Moncler on a range of sneakers and sandals, with more high-profile collaborations on the horizon.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
