Alexander Wang Reveals 3D Printed Kitten Heel for Spring 2026

Alexander Wang is looking into the future for his latest footwear development.

On Friday, the designer revealed the Griphoria, a 3D-printed stiletto that was brought to life with help from on-demand product creation platform Hilos, as part of his spring 2026 collection.

According to Wang, the shoe fuses multi-density resins into a single silhouette – a dual-material outsole and heel construction all while using no molds, CADS or waste in the production process.

“I have never done 3D-printed footwear, this was my first time,” Wang said in an interview backstage after his Friday show. “We have a little 3D printing machine in our office that we do mockups of heels or jewelry. But we always treated it as sort of a quick development tool. So, it’s nice to accomplish something like this shoe with essentially zero waste while also exploring more innovation.”

As for the design of the shoe, Wang noted that it even though its 3D printed, the silhouette still features intricate details like a micro-textured upper, plush lattice footbed and a structurally sound stiletto heel.

“The design was really inspired by the contrast of something that felt all-terrain but also had the elegance and the delicate nature of a stiletto kitten heel,” Wang added. “The Griphoria complements the theme of my collection which honors the many sides of an alpha female and celebrating her complexities through power dressing.”

And that’s not all the innovations Wang has leaned into this season. The designer noted that in addition to utilizing 3D printing for a key footwear style, his team also worked with artificial intelligence in varying capacities in the creative and development process to give back time to the atelier to focus on craft.

Even in post-show amplification, the team partnered with the AI-native fashion agent Gensmo to reach more customers and to build in community access immediately to its products, Wang said.

But as far as the rest of the brand’s spring 2026 footwear collection, Wang highlighted a “big return” of his signature Zipper styles this season.

“Zipper is an icon and core to our DNA,” the designer said. “That’s why you’re really seeing it across all the accessories in a big way this season. We also showed our Engagement Ring shoe, which is another nod to the alpha female. And I really leaned into the lower heels this season. I’m excited about that disciplined approach to the silhouette of a kitten heel.”