Part One: Outsole Modeling
The development of the Louis Vuitton Footprint Soccer shoes has begun with the disassembly and reverse engineering of the Louis outsole (see white outsole in image). This process included teardown → 3D scanning → CAD modeling → mold making (see yellow outsole in image).
While the material remains the same as the LV Trainer — a multi-color TPU outsole — the Footprint Soccer version introduces a completely different engineering structure. Unlike the flat outsole of the Trainer, this model features a tiered, curved design with a high-gloss mirrored finish. This design places extremely high demands on mold-making precision.
(Left Image) The first version of the outsole is close to perfect, but details still require refinement. As shown, the transition platform at the base slope is not distinct enough and needs further adjustment.
(Right Image) The outsole text is slightly too thick and continues to be revised.
Part Two: leather material
The leather material for the soccer shoes has been finalized.
Louis uses 0.8mm hybrid lambskin.
Most of the leather sold by Chinese sellers doesn't meet our standards for softness, stretch, and shine.
To solve this, we sourced premium hybrid lambskin from Germany —at four times the price of China materials.
This post is focused on leather comparison.For the full shoe comparison, please see Part Four: Details & Comparisons. 🧐👟
Part Three: Print Finishing Process
The Footprint Soccer shoes posed significant challenges due to their entirely new last and shape, meaning every process had to be built from scratch.
As shown in the figure, the design includes a distinctive print. There are 4–5 potential methods available for this step — from traditional screen printing to fully automated 3D digital printing. However, due to the thickness and vivid white shine of the original print (with very clear 3D texture), digital and mechanical methods introduced unwanted noise or insufficient coating.
To recreate the intended effect, we chose the most traditional method: manual silkscreen printing.
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(Figure 1) The hand-pulled silkscreen method gave us the most reliable result.
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(Figure 2) To ensure accurate print alignment, we scanned and modeled the shoe panels after disassembly.
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(Figure 3) The first layer uses a polyurethane resin mix for priming, strengthening adhesion and preventing peeling.
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(Figure 4) The design is then coated manually three more times with ink to enhance depth and color.
This manual process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, but it produces the most authentic result.
Part Four: Details & Comparisons
Detail Comparison 1: Structure & Comfort
The development of the Louis Vuitton Footprint Soccer is now complete ✅
With a new last and structure, this was one of our most ambitious projects yet. Every detail from leather to outsole was crafted in-house — distinguishable from other versions on the market.
Though designed in a soccer shoe silhouette, the upper is made from delicate hybrid lambskin, which is actually one of the least abrasion-resistant leathers. So in essence, it’s more of a fashion sneaker than a functional soccer shoe.
The shoe uses a retro English football boot last, featuring an extended tongue covering the upper. The leather is soft, padded, and detailed with breathable pores — offering both comfort and luxury.
Detail Comparison 2: Print Layer
The printed upper has a glossy, raised finish. The texture is clearly visible to the eye and tangible to the touch.
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The font design was generated via 3D digital scan, ensuring perfect accuracy.
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Despite appearing simple, the printing process had many challenges.
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Soft lambskin made embossing difficult, and automated printing left gaps or pixel noise.
Ultimately, we reverted to classic hand-pulled silkscreen printing — four full layers — to achieve the best results.
Detail Comparison 3: Leather Softness
The leather is extremely soft. In fact, the heel area collapsed during development due to repeated testing (see image).
Alignment precision is standard procedure, but what truly sets this version apart is the "bread-like" cushioning and 3D structure throughout.
Detail Comparison 4: Leather Quality
The Louis shoe uses hybrid lambskin, known for softness, fine grain, elasticity, and breathability.
In contrast, many Chinese suppliers stretch hides to their limit for higher yield, which weakens softness and elasticity. To match the Louis feel, we sourced premium hybrid lambskin from Germany.
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Results (see image) show maximum softness, elasticity, and an incredibly smooth feel.
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Downside? The cost is 4x higher than domestic materials — but the quality speaks for itself.
Detail Comparison 5: Outsole Fit
Although the Footprint outsole uses the same multi-color TPU composition as the Trainer, the geometry differs significantly.
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Its layered design hugs the foot more closely.
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Combined with lambskin lining, this provides an ultra-comfortable wearing experience.
🛠️ All molds and templates were developed in-house — these are exclusive to our workshop.
We refined the outsole mold over 10 iterations. Only after the initial prototype did we finalize the design.
As shown in the image, each tread pad includes a step (stair-step), which requires extremely high mold precision.
Detail Comparison 6: Outsole Finish
The outsole has smooth transitions and clearly defined layers.
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The first layer (outer sole) has a glossy finish.
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The second and subsequent layers are matte.
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See (white arrow in image): every micro-step in the design was accounted for.
It took five rounds of mold revision to achieve this result.
⚠️ Note: Color variance in the transparent outsole is due to oxidation — a common issue in authentic LV Trainers, such as the White Cement colorway.
Detail Comparison 7: Finishing Accuracy
Close-up shots show even Louis pairs aren’t perfect. In the image, the official print is not as crisp as our embossing.
The numbers 18 and 54 represent Louis Vuitton’s founding year: 1854. This detail appears across many LV models — most notably, the iconic #54 logo.
Part Five: Final Production Version
Please check the product link to see the finalized production version.
Final Thoughts 💬
This sneaker project was one of the most complex we’ve tackled: from outsole development to hand-printed graphics and premium lambskin sourcing, every part was built with precision and care.
We hope this deep dive gives you insight into our development process.
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