# Eco-Friendly Printed Shoes Native Shoes' Liquid Printed Natives are Made with 3D Printing By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2020-01-07 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/liquid-printed-natives References: [fastcompany](https://www.fastcompany.com/90445745/these-strange-glossy-shoes-are-3d-printed-just-for-you) & [nativeshoes](https://www.nativeshoes.com/ca/blog) [Native Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/remix-maison) is no stranger to making innovative footwear designs from plant-based and recycled materials but it is now experimenting with an unconventional new design called Liquid Printed Natives. These shoes leverage the power of [3D](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3dprinted-flip-flops) printing and recycled materials, meaning that there's less material waste, as the shoes are created on-demand. The liquid-printed shoes do take longer to make than their injection-molded counterparts but they offer distinct benefits—for example, the Liquid Printed Natives made in the brand's popular Audrey and Jefferson styles offer more grip. As it stands, Native Shoes hasn't released dates or pricing for the sneakers, as they are still being internally tested to improve the standout material even more. Image Credit: Native Shoes ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.8/10 - Popularity: 84% | Activity: 81% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **3D Printing Footwear:** The disruptive opportunity lies in offering made-to-order footwear that reduces material waste and incorporates recycled materials. - **Liquid Printing Technology:** The disruptive opportunity lies in applying liquid printing technology to create unique and eco-friendly designs not previously possible. - **Sustainability in Footwear:** The disruptive opportunity lies in creating sustainable footwear that gives consumers new and innovative options for environmentally friendly products. ### Where This Applies - **Footwear:** The footwear industry has an opportunity to embrace 3D printing and liquid printing technologies to offer more sustainable and customizable products. - **3D Printing:** The 3D printing industry has an opportunity to expand its offerings to include sustainable footwear and expand its reach into the fashion industry. - **Sustainability Consulting:** With the increasing importance of sustainability, the sustainability consulting industry has an opportunity to advise footwear companies on eco-friendly practices, materials, and technologies. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [3D Printed Shoe Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/customfit-3d-printed-shoes.md) - [Custom 3D-Printed Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sean-wotherspoon-x-zellerfeld.md) - [Sustainable 3D-Printed Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/4dfwd-1.md) - [3D-Printed Sports Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-air-max-1000.md) - [Scan-to-Print Custom Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vivobiome.md) - [3d-Printed Collab Flip Flops](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3dprinted-flipflops.md) - [Petroleum Product-Free Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-ripple-shoe.md) - [3D-Printed Winter Sport Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bobsled-footwear.md) - [Sustainable Single-Piece Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/on-cloudboom-strike-ls.md)