Reebok x Botter concept sneaker offers glimpse at future of footwear production

At the latest Paris Fashion Week, Reebok, New Guards Group, HP and Dutch luxury brand Botter collaborated to debut a new 3D-printed concept sneaker dubbed the Venus Comb Murex Shell.

Designed to fuse the ethos of both brands, the Reebok x Botter concept sneaker combines Botter’s affinity for the ocean through the look of a Murex seashell, an object that in legend was used by the Greek goddess Venus to comb her hair, with a vintage Reebok football silhouette, a style that Botter is famed for reinventing with its Botter ‘Banker’ that debuted in 2017.

Reinventing design and manufacturing

The unique form of the core shoe was created and engineered with the HP 3D printing team based in Barcelona using a technology called HP Multi Jet Fusion. Once printed, the grey sneakers were then hand-painted to complement the Caribbean Sea tones featured throughout Botter’s FW23 collection.

The brands describe the end result as “not just an innovative luxury piece, but a sustainable alternative to traditional sneaker production”. The HP Multi Jet Fusion is a function created to reinvent design and manufacturing by unlocking the full potential of 3D printing and exploring techniques that are more energy efficient.

The process revolves around having no waste, uses a material called TPU that is reusable once recycled, and is nimble enough to make products post-sale that can solve excessive production.

“HP has built a team of footwear industry specialists, under the lead of Don Albert, a 25-year footwear veteran. This team has developed an end-to-end solution to help large and small footwear companies in fashion and performance to reach their goals using HP Multi Jet Fusion Technology,” shared François Minec, global head of polymers at HP Personalisation & 3D Printing.

“We enable new levels of design freedom, fast and agile product development, and a more sustainable local manufacturing process. This collaboration with Reebok and Botter is a perfect introduction of the HP solution to the footwear world.”

Speaking to the multi-brand collaboration, Nathan Jobe, head of footwear at New Guards Group commented, “NGG and Reebok have a rich history in street and fashion culture. It is important to find like-minded souls in the world to partner with. Botter is very much part of our community.

“We were happy to be able to support their show and showcase the incredible technology of HP while doing it. This partnership really outlines a journey that thrives through design and celebrates culture and heritage to envision the future.”

“We are very excited to join forces with Reebok and envision a new future of footwear and apparel together. We aim to push the boundaries of technology and sustainability while embracing the legacy of Reebok,” added Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh of Botter.

Innovation journey

The Reebok x Botter Concept Sneaker Engineered by HP is a project that represents the first leap into innovation, sustainability and fashion Reebok is taking with the New Guards Group since the company’s acquisition by the Authentic Brands Group.

“We knew partnering with New Guards Group would allow us to push the needle, bringing consumers fresh new concepts and unexpected collaborations,” said Todd Krinsky, CEO and president of Reebok.

“I’m incredibly energised by what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time and this latest release with Botter and HP gives a small taste of what’s to come in this long-term partnership.”