Jaden Smith may have just brought 3D printed footwear into one of fashion’s most famous red-soled shoes.
It all started during Paris Fashion Week, where Christian Louboutin presented its Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection on June 24, led by Smith, who was named the house’s first men’s creative director in 2025. Instead of a traditional runway, guests walked into a vivid red terrain. Massive prehistoric stone-like formations, much like a modern Stonehenge, took over the venue. Some of those “stones” had “display niches” carved into them, almost like museum cases, where shoes, bags, and accessories were exhibited. Other shoes were displayed on top of the rocks, almost like sculptures or artifacts. Most of it was bathed in Louboutin’s signature color. This was a visually striking show, or we could say, an immersive setting built around ruins and fantasy.
Inside Louboutin’s Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation, in the form of monumental circular monoliths that reveal the collection’s key shoes and leather goods.
But then came the social media posts. And that’s when the clues appeared. Smith posted a video that seemed to have been filmed backstage at the presentation. Dressed in one of his Louboutin looks, he slipped on a shoe with the brand’s unmistakable red sole, then took it off and folded it in half to show just how flexible it was. Shortly after, Zellerfeld, known for its fully 3D printed footwear, reposted the clip with a shushing emoji (à la “keep this a secret”) and an arrow pointing to the word “Soon.”
Jaden Smith vibing to ‘Knicks’ by Cochise via IG story
pic.twitter.com/tfomMdjzl6
— Cochise Updates (@CochiseUpdates) June 26, 2026
Well, it wasn’t secret for long. A few days later, Footwear News reported that Smith had previewed a never-before-seen Christian Louboutin shoe that was 3D printed with help from Zellerfeld. In a statement sent to FN, Zellerfeld said the shoe “marks a major step for what a luxury dress shoe can become, not cut, stitched and assembled in the traditional sense, but shaped through next-gen manufacturing.”
That’s all we know so far. What is still unclear is whether the shoe featured in Smith’s video was part of the presentation itself or previewed separately around the event. But, we could say that Smith’s latest Louboutin chapter seems to be opening the door to 3D printed luxury footwear, and Zellerfeld is part of that next step.
Zellerfeld reposted Jaden Smith’s video with a “Soon” teaser before confirming its collaboration on a fully 3D printed luxury dress shoe. Image courtesy of Zellerfeld via Instagram.
And what about the bright red shoes everyone saw in Paris? Could those have been 3D printed too? One of the standout pieces in Smith’s installation was the Claw Feet, a slip-on with claw-like toes and a smooth, seamless look. It actually shared a lot in common with other shoes we’ve seen 3D printed. Of course, we don’t have confirmation of this at the moment. Neither Louboutin nor Zellerfeld has said whether the Claw Feet were 3D printed. But after Smith’s flex test, Zellerfeld’s “Soon” teaser, and the company’s later confirmation that it had worked on a fully 3D printed luxury dress shoe, it’s hard not to wonder if visitors had already seen the collaboration without realizing it.
Jaden Smith’s Claw Feet.
Zellerfeld has spent the last few years pushing a different model for footwear. Instead of cutting, stitching, gluing, and assembling shoes from many parts, the company uses 3D printing to make shoes as single-piece or near-single-piece objects. That changes how footwear can be designed, made, fitted, and eventually (and much more easily) distributed.
It has also been expanding the business behind that vision. Just last week, Zellerfeld announced a partnership with Swedish foot-scanning company Volumental, integrating its scanning technology into Zellerfeld’s production platform to manufacture custom-fit shoes. The deal followed Zellerfeld’s investment in Volumental and points to its strategy of building an end-to-end digital footwear ecosystem, from capturing a customer’s foot shape to producing a made-to-order 3D printed shoe.
The entrance to Louboutin’s Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection took place at Palais Brongniart.
Until now, most 3D printed footwear stories have been around sneakers, slides, concept shoes, and limited-edition collabs with celebrities, athletes, and designers. A luxury dress shoe is a different challenge. Mention a luxury dress shoe, and most people imagine fine leather, skilled artisans, and brands like Hermès, Berluti, John Lobb, or Louboutin. It’s a world built on tradition. A fully 3D printed dress shoe breaks away from that tradition. And Zellerfeld isn’t trying to replace traditional shoemaking with a cheaper alternative. Instead, the company says 3D printing opens the door to a new kind of luxury.
The red sole adds another layer. So when Smith teases a red-soled shoe, and Zellerfeld reposts it with a “Soon” hint, the message is hard to miss. Something is coming, and it seems to be at the intersection of Louboutin’s luxury and Zellerfeld’s digital manufacturing platform. That could make this more than another celebrity shoe. Not that we don’t love a celeb collab. In fact, celebrity collaborations have helped bring 3D printed footwear into the spotlight, but this one could show how the technology is finding a place in luxury fashion.
Then there’s the question everyone will probably ask first: How much would a shoe like this cost? Christian Louboutin’s men’s dress shoes often sell for $1,200 to $1,500, while most Zellerfeld shoes cost somewhere between $150 and $300. If this collaboration eventually goes on sale, it will be fascinating to see where the two worlds meet. Right in the middle? Or closer to the red sole than the 3D printer?
Images courtesy of Maison Christian Louboutin unless otherwise noted