Behind the Design: Feeling_me

the H2D said to me:" hope you are feeling me.❤️"

The design of Feeling Me was born from an experience of running my 3D printer continuously for over one hundred hours. When the print was finally complete, I found myself sensing a kind of fatigue in the machine itself. In that moment, an image emerged: what if, after I fell asleep, my H2D printer—like the characters in Toy Story—quietly came to life, transformed into a humanoid being, and began hand-weaving the shoes I had designed?

I began to wonder: if this H2D possessed its own consciousness, would it wish for me to cherish the result of its labor more deeply—to truly experience the work it had woven, to feel its effort, its precision, and, ultimately, to feel her herself.

So I designed this pair of shoes with a stronger emphasis on a woven texture, and named it “Feeling_me” as a gesture of gratitude to my 3D printer.

At the same time, I believe that in the near future—perhaps by the year 2046—3D printers will merge with robotics to form a more advanced, weaving-oriented manufacturing collective. By then, they will not only be capable of producing 3D-printed footwear with a woven sensibility, but will also be able to create new weaving techniques with their own hands, enabling ideas and possibilities far beyond what we can imagine today.

👆Returning to the design itself, with Bambu Lab TPU 90A and 95A, it is already possible to 3D print footwear that is exceptionally comfortable. Building on this foundation, my team and I continued to refine the design, further enhancing the overall comfort of the shoe.

In the initial concept, we introduced a structure in the midsole similar to a carbon plate. However, after several rounds of prototyping and wear testing, we concluded that such a structure was unnecessary for a thin-soled shoe. As a result, this element was removed in the final version, allowing the wearer to experience a reduced sense of constraint and a more natural feel.

👆To achieve the best possible 3D printing results, we conducted extensive testing with a wide range of slicing parameters. As a result, you can now obtain optimal print quality simply by printing the 3MF file we provide, without any additional adjustments.

We recommend using a multi-material–capable printer and selecting PLA for the support material, as this will result in a cleaner finish and higher quality at the heel of the shoe.

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I have long been committed to integrating FDM 3D-printed footwear more naturally into everyday life, encouraging more people to embrace 3D-printed shoes as part of their daily wardrobe. Beyond ensuring comfort, I intentionally designed Feeling_me to align with contemporary fashion sensibilities.

We conducted extensive styling and wear tests, and the shoe proved to be highly versatile—easy to pair with a wide range of outfits, particularly within everyday womenswear. Our goal is for Feeling_me to be not only a 3D-printed shoe made for walking, but also a fashion item with a distinct sense of style.

I hope that 3D-printed products can move beyond being niche, hobbyist creations and step onto a larger stage—becoming well-designed commercial products, or even gifts that a loved one would look forward to receiving. To achieve this, I have continuously worked to balance creativity with everyday usability, ensuring that the shoes feel distinctive and special without being excessive or overstated.

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Behind the Design: feeling_U

You feel the ground，the ground feels you.

This is the first thin-soled, barefoot-inspired 3D-printed shoe I have designed. A few months ago, I found myself standing barefoot on a patch of grass, feeling the texture of the blades, the softness of the soil, and the subtle feedback the ground delivered to my feet. In that moment, I began to wonder: while I was feeling the earth, could the earth also be feeling me?

That question sparked the initial idea for this design, leading to the creation of “Feeling_U”—a shoe centered entirely on the experience of sensory feedback through the feet.

👆When designing the outsole of this shoe, my intention was to allow the feet to receive richer feedback from the ground. For this reason, I introduced a series of raised and recessed textures inspired by the uneven surfaces of natural terrain. In real-world wear, these outsole patterns not only enhance traction and slip resistance, but are also strategically concentrated around the five primary pressure points of the forefoot, enabling a more direct and intuitive sense of ground feedback while walking.

However, the overall appearance of the shoe remains intentionally restrained and uncomplicated. I gradually transitioned the outsole textures upward into the upper, preventing it from appearing overly minimal while maintaining a clean silhouette. To keep the shoe as lightweight as possible, no unnecessary elements were added to the upper.

At the same time, this shoe is not intended to be a fully barefoot design. To improve wear performance and everyday comfort, particularly for daily commuting, a midsole structure was deliberately retained. In the slicing configuration, the midsole is printed with a 20% cubic infill, which provides enhanced elastic feedback during walking while offering additional protection to the foot when moving across uneven terrain.

Like Feeling_me, Feeling_U went through multiple rounds of printing tests and extensive slicing parameter adjustments to ensure the most comfortable possible underfoot experience. Our goal was not simply to create a 3D-printed shoe that is wearable, but to achieve a high level of performance across several key aspects:

1. Excellent elastic feedback;

2. Structural support in the upper without compromise;

3. Sufficient breathability throughout the upper;

4. Reliable resistance to tearing.

Users can now simply print the optimized 3MF file we provide to achieve the best possible version of Feeling_U.

👇 samples

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❤️At present, both models can be 3D printed by selecting the most suitable size directly through our sizing system.

⚠️The text shown in the images consists of notes and stage-by-stage records from my design process. For the best printing results, please refer to the 3MF files included in the rewards, which contain the final and optimized slicing settings.

Experimental Soft Feedback Edition👇

During testing, I also discovered an alternative printing approach that further enhances sensory feedback underfoot. When applied to Feeling_U and Feeling_me, this method results in exceptional comfort, with outstanding midsole rebound and an overall soft, highly elastic feel throughout the shoe.

However, this approach comes with certain trade-offs. There is a higher risk of print failure, and the resulting shoes are not intended for long-term or high-intensity wear. Under continuous, demanding use, tearing may occur after approximately one full day of wear.

For this reason, we offer this experimental version as an optional Tier add-on. By paying an additional $2, users can access the corresponding 3MF file. I warmly welcome discussion and collaboration, and look forward to exchanging ideas with anyone who may discover a better solution.

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🌟WHO AM I🌟

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My name is Yawn Deng. I am a footwear designer as well as a product designer.
I earned my Master’s degree in Product Design from the Berlin University of the Arts, and in 2022, I joined adidas CCA in Shanghai as a footwear designer. In 2024, I decided to become an independent designer, allowing myself to explore design with greater freedom and focus.

I started working with 3D printing in 2016 and quickly fell in love with using 3D printers to create products that are thoughtful, expressive, and unconventional. Since becoming an independent designer, I have been deeply focused on 3D-printed footwear, continuously experimenting with new structures, materials, and approaches to underfoot feeling.

My goal has always been to make 3D-printed shoes move beyond experimental objects or niche hobbies, and instead become something that fits naturally into everyday life—while also standing confidently within contemporary fashion and street culture. Over the past two years, I have designed and printed a large number of footwear prototypes, constantly pushing the limits of what 3D-printed shoes can achieve in terms of structure, comfort, and wearability. I am committed to one idea: turning interesting concepts into shoes that people can genuinely wear every day.

I am very happy to share my two favorite designs from this year on the MakerWorld platform for the first time.
I hope you enjoy these two pairs of shoes—designed to be both visually distinctive and practically wearable.

More designs will be shared in the future, and I sincerely appreciate your continued support.
You can find more of my work here:

• Instagram: @yawnd
• Xiaohongshu (RED): @yawnd

👆some of my works in 2025

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thank you!!!