This is a concept I’m developing but you have to be VERY literal when dealing with our factories in China. As you can see the idea would essentially be a relatively normal pump, with a rubber skin wrapped on top of it. The rubber skin would be what the birds nest look is. Does anyone have any pictures or, or know anywhere where I might be able to find an image of what I am thinking of. I would ideally like the strands not to overlap, but all sit in one sheet. If anyone has any ideas, please share.
the nike Zvezdochka shoe uses a similar technique but instead of geometric cutouts it uses circles. it could be done 2 ways, 1 as a flat moulded tpu piece with a seam which is heat transfered to the upper pattern before lasting or 2 3d moulded piece which allows you to slip a upper booty inside. tpu heat transfered piece work best on synthetic material. hope this helps
I think you’d be looking at a mold - your idea reminds me a bit of a design by the Melissa brand. (trying to find photo but can’t!)
A mold would be very expensive, those kind of injected molds don’t come cheap at all. Even if you could find a sheet (or develop one) with the look you want, you’d not be able to last it on a toe shape like that. Thats why it has to be injection molded, because of the last. It’s only worth doing if you can put down serious pairage, you’ll never make the mold costs back otherwise. Whats your order forecast? Not worth doing unless you can do at least 30,000 pairs and then would be about a dollar a pair on the cost (yes the molds are that pricey!)
You might be able to use a sheet if you modify your design, open toe would mean no toe lasting.
Aside from all of that, is the bonding - I can’t see how you’d be able to use conventional womens shoe making techniques and that type of material to get the sole/platform to stay on. The Zvezdochka probably works because of the construction/because it is a sneaker.
If you want that look, why don’t you consider getting the factory to laser cut a sheet of pu, or leather or patent with that ‘stringy’ design and overlay that, then you are not facing problems from bonding or mold amortisation. I think it would still look really cool, consider laser cutting a non woven backed pu that already has a rubber texture emboss, then you will really get that ‘rubbery’ look.
Other than what the nike shoes pictured are using i would think it could be done with a HF weld onto a base textile layer? might not be cheap or easy, but that’s not the point right? Here is a pic of the merrell robotic that uses the same process, your molds would just be a different pattern.
Or done with direct pu injection maybe? i know ecco has done some pretty complicated molds where the pu is all the way up into the eyestays, they used a birdsnest pattern on their E2 concept as well. heres a link to the E2, cant find any hq images.