3D Printed Insoles: How They’re Made, What They’re Made Of, and Who They Suit

“3D printed” has become a selling point on everything from running shoes to eyeglass frames. For insoles, it actually solves a real manufacturing problem. Here is how it works, step by step, and what it does and doesn’t change for your feet.

Why 3D print an insole at all?

Most store-bought insoles are molded. A factory makes a mold for each size, then produces thousands of identical pairs from it. That is efficient, but it means everyone who wears a size 9 gets the same arch.

3D printing works the other way around. There is no mold, so every part in a print run can be a different shape at no extra tooling cost. That makes it practical to give each foot its own arch, which is the whole point of a custom insole. Your left and right feet can get different shapes in the same pair.

From scan to finished pair

1. Scan. You photograph your feet with your phone next to a sheet of paper. Volumental’s scanner turns the photos into a 3D measurement of each foot, including length, width and arch height. Our guide on how to scan your feet with your phone walks through it.
2. Design. Each foot’s scan is turned into its own arch shell. The outline of the insole follows a standard shoe shape so it fits into shoes; the arch follows you.
3. Print. The shells are printed on industrial HP Multi Jet Fusion printers, many parts at a time.
4. Finish and assemble. Loose powder is removed, and the shell is combined with a heel pad, comfort foam and a printed fabric top cover in the design you chose. Then the pair ships. Every pair is made to order, and U.S. orders are delivered within 14 days.

You can see the scan and the finished layers on our How It Works page.

How Multi Jet Fusion works

There are several kinds of 3D printing. Many hobby printers melt a plastic filament and draw each layer with a nozzle. Multi Jet Fusion, made by HP, is a powder process. According to HP, each layer goes like this:

• A thin layer of nylon powder is spread across the build area.
• An inkjet head prints a fusing agent where the part should be solid, and a detailing agent around its edges to keep them sharp.
• The layer is exposed to heat energy, and only the printed areas fuse.
• The next layer is spread on top, and the process repeats.

HP lists a layer thickness of 0.08 mm, or 80 microns, for its Jet Fusion 5200 series. HP also points out that the material actually fuses rather than being glued, which is why MJF is used for functional parts as well as prototypes. Unfused powder is removed after printing, and much of it can be reused in later builds.

Why PA12 nylon?

Our arch shells are printed in PA12, a nylon that HP describes as strong and low-cost, with good resistance to oils and greases. HP’s data sheet lists a part density of 1.01 g/cm³, about the same as water, so the shells stay light. It also lists 20 percent elongation at break, which in plain terms means the material can bend a fair amount before it fails instead of cracking like a brittle plastic.

That combination matters for an insole. The shell needs to hold the shape of your arch step after step, but it also has to flex with your foot and your shoe.

The shell does the shaping; the layers do the cushioning

A printed shell on its own would feel hard. That is why a finished CustomSole insole is a stack of parts, each with one job:

• Printed arch shell: shaped from your scan, separately for the left and right foot.
• Deep heel cup: helps keep your heel seated in the shoe.
• Cushioning layers: EVA and PORON® foams, plus a cushioned heel pad, to soften each step on hard floors.
• Breathable top cover: a fabric layer printed with one of 16 designs.

When people say a 3D printed insole “feels different,” it is usually the shell they notice: the arch is there because of the shape, not because of thick padding.

What research says about 3D printed insoles

A 2025 systematic review in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders looked at 62 studies of 3D-printed orthoses, many of them insoles. Studies often reported better pressure distribution, comfort and fit. The authors also noted that some studies found minimal differences compared with prefabricated devices, and concluded that results depend on design precision, material selection and the wearer’s needs.

That matches our view. 3D printing is a way to make a shape accurately and one pair at a time. It is not magic, and it is not treatment. For a broader look at custom versus store-bought, see are custom insoles worth it?

How to judge a 3D printed insole brand

If you are comparing brands, these questions separate real custom work from marketing:

• Where does the foot data come from? A measured 3D scan is different from a quiz about your shoe size.
• Are the left and right feet made separately? If both insoles are mirror images, they weren’t built from each foot.
• What exactly is printed? Some brands print the whole insole; others print the arch shell and add foam. Ask what material is used.
• What sits between the shell and your foot? Cushioning and a top cover make a big difference to comfort.
• What happens if it doesn’t fit? Made-to-order products usually have limited returns, so read the policy before you buy.
• Are the claims modest? Be wary of insoles promising to cure or correct anything. Comfort products should say so.

Ready to see the designs? Browse all 16 CustomSole insoles.