Adjustable 3D Printed Kids Shoe

About the project

I’m developing a children’s shoe that literally grows with the foot, and adjustability is the single most critical feature. The concept will be for children's shoes until the age of 12, with the same core design (or easily swappable modules) so that it will cover at least two full years of growth for any child within that age range. Because parents should be able to buy replacements through a local service, the entire shoe has to suit standard FDM equipment. I want the main printable parts specified in flexible TPU; its resilience and softness make it the best match for comfort and wear. If you see clever ways to blend in rigid elements—say, PLA or PETG—for hinges or decorative trims, feel free to note them, but the working prototype must remain fully functional in TPU or a similar readily available TPE. Comfort and aesthetics still matter; cushioned foot-beds, breathable patterns, and playful colour breaks are welcome, yet never at the expense of the expansion mechanism. Think ratcheting straps, telescopic ribs, or interlocking panels—whatever lets the shoe lengthen and widen without bulky add-ons. What I need from you: As part of your initial quotation: - Provide a sketch of your first design, with basic details of how the shoe will work and the materials to be used. - Description of how it will be 3D printed to show that you are familiar with the limitations. - Provide experience of working on similar projects particulary experience with footwear design and FDM printing. When awarded the project the deliverables will be: - Final design sketch showing the expansion mechanism, material choices and labels of each component. - A write up on how the mechanism achieves the size changes (e.g. expected range in mm per part) - Recommended print settings for TPU on typical 0.4 mm nozzles, plus any post-processing steps required and including an estimate of total amount of material required and total time required per set of shoes. • CAD files (STEP and STL) ready for slicing, organised by size group or modular part. • Notes on assembly, fasteners (if any), and projected lifespan under normal playground abuse. There is no immediate time-frame on the project. It will be better to spend time to make a really good design than rush a design in order to meet a deadline, therefore please foresee a number of iterations of your initial concept design when quoting the project before a final design is reached. The brief is deliberately quite vague as I want to see what your creative minds come up with. If you have any ideas which are slightly different to the current concept but still provide a sustainable design for children's shoes then feel free to share that idea. Looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

Skills required