Materials Show: 3D Knitting Could Revolutionize Footwear Production, Experts Say

Cutting-edge technology and innovative production processes have the potential to forever change the way footwear is made. That's according to industry innovators at the Materials Show in Portland, Ore., who spoke to the opportunities afforded by digital design and 3D knitting on Wednesday. "3D knitting as a method of manufacturing is an incredible platform to manufacture products with zero waste, and be very thoughtful about the materials you use and how you create that final product," Garrett Gerson, CEO of 3D-knitting technology provider Variant 3D told an audience of global attendees. Founded in in 2016, the company houses its own fleet of 3D-knitting machines at its headquarters in Malibu, Calif., collaborating with brands, suppliers and other boundary-pushing footwear innovators on product lines and capsule collections. In March, Variant 3D will launch a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) software with the goal of bringing 3D-knitting capabilities to the footwear industry and beyond. The platform will make the design process for 3D-knitted products faster and more seamless. "You have to actually design pixel by pixel at the moment using traditional software," Gerson explained. "What we'll be able to do is import model file formats in 3D and create a full end-to-end [process] from design

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