Footwear brand Vivobarefoot is launching what it’s calling the world’s first 3D-printed sandal that uses the shape of your feet. Employing its patented 3D printed VivoBiome technology, the Tabi Gen 01 is designed, like the brand’s other silhouettes, to replicate the natural barefoot experience. For those who aren’t aware, zero-drop shoes like these help with encouraging a natural gait and posture, and give you better overall stability by allowing your feet and toes to rest naturally.
With its latest sandals, Vivobarefoot aims to tackle the discrepancies that have made it almost impossible to find the perfect fit when shopping for footwear. Their new approach flips tradition on its head, bringing personalization to your feet because, after all, no two are exactly the same.
Split-Toe Innovation
Drawing inspiration from the distinctive split-toe design of traditional Japanese footwear that dates back half a century, the Tabi Gen 01 aims, at its core, to deliver better balance and enhanced ground feel to your feet. But what makes Vivobarefoot’s approach so revolutionary isn’t just the “perfect fit” concept itself but how they’ve reinvented age-old design processes through cutting-edge manufacturing techniques.
Precision Fit Revolution
To achieve this sort of bespoke construction, Vivobarefoot uses a combination of 3D-scanning and -printing tech. You essentially head to one of the company’s stores in person to scan your foot’s exact dimensions, right down to the arch and stepping points. This creates a digital blueprint that gets feeds directly into their proprietary VivoBiome system, transforming the data into a sandal that hugs your foot’s natural shape.
Again, this only bolsters the benefits of a zero-drop barefoot-style sandal by perfecting the way it fits. The Tabi should preclude things such as adjustment straps designed to keep your foot from moving around. Likewise, the TMNT-style split-toe design is there to recognize the different way that your big toe moves in relation to the other four, while also promoting a natural foot splay when both standing and walking.
Despite its minimalist construction and ideal comfort, Vivobarefoot hasn’t compromised capability. While there’s not a lot of exact info on the lug height and performance, the thoughtfully designed outsole pattern is said to provide you with surprising traction across different types of terrain, making these suitable for everything from urban exploration to a light hike.
Environmental Intelligence
Due to the made-to-order nature of the sandals, the Tabi Gen 01 abandons traditional mass production to eliminate waste associated with unsold inventory and sizing variations. Also, the materials themselves represent Vivobarefoot’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Partnering with Balena, Vivobarefoot has come up with BioCir, a flexible thermoplastic elastomer that’s “fully industrially compostable, and recyclable.”
As impressive as all this is, the Tabi Gen 01 wasn’t an overnight development. Since 2019, when co-founder Asher Clark first showcased a prototype at Biofabricate, the company has been methodically developing its VivoBiome platform. Their scan-to-print mission faced numerous technical hurdles in the meantime.
However, working with partners like Balena, they’ve focused on creating materials like the biodegradable BioCir materials so they can be specifically formulated for 3D printing. The Tabi Gen 01 only represents the first commercial release of technology they’ve been refining since 2023, when they launched a limited “Pioneer” program for 200 testers to help perfect the system. What began as an experimental concept has evolved into what Clark calls “one of humanity’s oldest tools brought into the future.”
Spec Sheet
Model: VivoBiome Tabi Gen 01 Sandal
Material: 3D-printed BioCir biodegradable thermoplastic
Type: Split-toe (tabi) sandal
Outsole: Treaded BioCir for grip
Limited Release?: Yes, 590 pairs in first run
Price: ~$175 (expected)
Pricing & Availability
Expected to cost around £140 (~$175), the Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 sandal will be available for sign-ups and walk-ins at the brand’s London, Bristol, and Prague concept stores. Only 590 will be made for this frist run. More accessible versions from the VivoBiome lineup should become available in 2026, with the virtual queue for early access to the Tabi Gen 02 opening up soon.
Recap
Vivobarefoot Tabi Gen 01 Sandal
Aiming to achieve the perfect fit, Vivobarefoot has employed its VivoBiome 3D-printing tech to a split-toe sandal that can hug your foot after getting an in-person scan.
