Actble and Something Added Develop Modular 3D Printed Pointe Shoes

German dancewear manufacturer Actble, founded by former ballet dancer Sophia Lindner, has partnered with Barcelona-based footwear specialist Something Added to develop a modular pointe shoe. By replacing traditional single-piece construction with a three-part modular assembly containing a 3D printed TPU inner sole, the design extends shoe longevity up to five times compared to standard ballet footwear.

Modular Architecture and MJF Production

Traditional pointe shoes rely on a composite structure of paper, fabric, glue, leather shanks, and satin shells. These components wear down unevenly, often forcing dancers to replace the entire shoe after just 10 to 20 hours of use. Actble addresses this limitation by separating the shoe into three distinct, replaceable elements:

• A 3D printed inner sole manufactured using HP Multi Jet Fusion technology
• A compression-fit knitted outer skin
• Customisable support laces

The TPU inner sole utilises incision-based geometry that allows natural foot movement during routine steps. When a dancer rises onto their toes, the segmented structure locks together to provide rigid structural support. Slits engineered into the toe box allow the fitting to expand across different foot widths, while interchangeable lace sizes adapt support across low, medium, and high arches. When the sole wears down, dancers can replace only the printed insert rather than discarding the full assembly.

Additive Manufacturing in Personalised Footwear

The collaboration highlights a growing shift toward additive manufacturing in athletic and specialised footwear. Producing components via Multi Jet Fusion allows manufacturers to create complex, segmented geometries that cannot be moulded or stamped using traditional techniques. Dancers can alter specific components based on individual foot morphology, arch height, and wear patterns, reducing point pressure on toes and lowering strain on the Achilles tendon.

What This Means for South African Makers

While industrial powder-bed technologies like HP Multi Jet Fusion operate at a commercial scale, the design principles behind Actble’s footwear offer valuable lessons for desktop and local 3D printing projects. Local designers and makers working with flexible materials like TPU on FDM machines can apply similar modular concepts to functional wear items, custom orthotics, or protective gear.

Modular design reduces overall material waste and simplifies repair cycles. Rather than printing an entire functional part as a single unfixable unit, breaking complex assemblies into replaceable, mechanically interlocking sub-components allows for cost-effective maintenance and targeted customisation. South African entrepreneurs exploring footwear, sports apparel, or ergonomic equipment can draw inspiration from how strategic geometry and material selection solve real-world mechanical wear challenges.

DC3D’s Take

Applying additive manufacturing to functional footwear demonstrates how 3D printing excels when tackling non-standard ergonomics and rapid material fatigue. Traditional pointe shoe production has remained largely unchanged for decades despite high replacement rates and physical strain on dancers. By replacing consumable wear points with replaceable 3D printed components, Actble presents a practical solution to a long-standing functional problem.

From an engineering perspective, using segmented locking geometry in flexible TPU is a smart approach to balancing flexibility with rigidity. For local print services and product designers, it underscores the importance of designing for disassembly and modular repair rather than relying on monolithic parts that end up discarded when a single section wears out.