Out of Mini Factory and into what will surely be a grand collection, designer Michele Badia has designed an elegant shoe coined Aphrodite. The shoe aims to be completely available to print and wearable appropriate for the runway or a stroll through an ornate Italian garden. Badia, an Italian native, took his inspiration for beauty and sensuality its symbolic epitome with the goddess Aphrodite. Allowing the goddess to muse through him, the shoe Aphrodite can be 3D printed with any print bed similar to that of the Makerbot Replicator 2 and the strap and shoe require different filaments.
The main body of the shoe uses PLA, ABS, bronze, or Laywood filament, depending on the user’s whim. Requiring the print dimensions of an Ultimaker 2, the filament resolution ought to be 0.1 or 0.2 with 40% infill. For the pads and straps, printed in Ninjaflex, one ought to use 20% infill and a resolution of 0.2. Michele cites the optimal temperature at 220 to 230 degrees and extruding speed at 30mm/s for the straps and 60 mm/s for body of the shoe, with no support printed.
The shoe is aptly named Aphrodite. While the design can be printed in various colors, the example provided fits the bill with a bronzed finish and black straps. It perfectly captures the essence of Empyrean beauty and subtle sensuality ideal for fashionable heels. Through his Mini Factory account, Michele has offered a couture shoe ready for display and jealous or intrigued looks. One can purchase the shoe already printed for $99, but the 3D model is free for home 3D printing.
