Terms of use

Last updated October 27, 2026 (version 0.9.0)

What heelo does

heelo turns your shoe size or a tracing of your feet into 3D-printable shoe files (STL). You print them yourself, or have a printing service print them.

Free files

• Free shoe and sandal files carry a raised "heelo.ai" mark on the outer side of each shoe, about 20 mm tall on adult sizes (smaller on small shoes and on sandals, where there is less room). Decorations never cover the mark.
• Free files are for your own personal use. Please don't remove the mark or share the files as your own design.

Paid options

• Files without the mark: your left and right files without the mark, for your personal use.
• Keep my design private: files without the mark, and your design is never shown to other visitors.
• Commercial-use rights: files without the mark, the design stays private, and you may sell shoes printed from these files. You may not sell or share the files themselves.

My shoes, re-fits and other people

• A paid design is saved in My shoes under the email you pay with. Sign in there with a 6-digit code we email you to download the files again.
• A paid design is for one person's feet.
• Free re-fits for 12 months after you buy: you can fit the design again for free when the new foot length is within 10 mm of the first fit. Changes to width, toe room, heel lift and the fit zones are free too. The shoe type and sole thickness stay the same.
• A bigger change in foot length, or a new foot tracing, counts as another person's feet. You can make the design for another person at 50% off the option you bought.
• By paying, you agree that we keep the paid design and its fit data until you delete your account (see the privacy policy).

Design chat, AI credit and the design library

• The design chat can change your shoe's settings for free, and can add decorations such as bows, patterns and borders.
• Each visitor gets $0.15 of free AI credit. A new decoration made by the chat costs what the AI costs heelo for it, usually a few cents, and is taken from your credit. You can add credit ($5, $10 or $15). Credit is for new decorations on this site only; it is not refundable and has no cash value.
• Every new decoration the chat makes is added at once to the public design library, where anyone can add it to their own shoes for free. Decorations used in designs whose owners buy the private or commercial-use option are taken out of the library.
• Brands: generic styles are fine (for example a plain bow). The chat will not make famous brand logos, brand names, signature brand patterns (such as the LV monogram, Gucci GG, Burberry check, Nike swoosh) or cartoon and film characters, and library entries never carry brand names.
• Your own logo or picture: you may add one after confirming that you own the rights to it or have permission to use it. Shoes with your own logo are never shown in the gallery or the design library, so they need the Private design or Commercial use option to download. You are responsible for what you upload.
• Report and takedown: every library design has a Report button. Reported designs are checked by heelo and removed if they break these rules; a design reported by 3 different visitors is hidden until it is checked. Rights holders can also write to us to have a design removed.

Who owns the designs

• Designs made with heelo are created with heelo's shoe models and software, and heelo keeps the rights to them. What you can do with a design is set by the option you chose above.
• Designs whose owners did not buy private or commercial-use rights may be shown in the public gallery and offered to other visitors, who can make them fitted to their own feet. This can continue after the 15 days in which your foot measurements and files are deleted (see the privacy policy); only the design's style, title and picture are kept for this.

Fit and safety

• Fit depends on your measurements, printer, material and settings. Print a fit frame or toe test piece first to check the fit.
• heelo shoes are simple flat shoes. They are not medical or orthopedic products and are not safety footwear.
• You are responsible for printing, finishing and checking the shoes before wearing them. Stop wearing shoes that hurt or come apart.

Digital files, print check and refunds

• What you buy are digital files (STL) for 3D printing, not printed shoes.
• Before you can pay, the site checks that each shoe is one solid piece that can be printed, asks your printer's bed size and warns you if the shoes will not fit on it. You confirm that these are digital files and that you checked your printer is big enough.
• One-click refund within 14 days of paying, if you cannot print your shoes: use the Refund button on the My shoes page or on the page after payment. The files without the mark and your design rights end; the free files with the mark stay available.
• If your files can't be made or downloaded, write to us and we will fix it or refund you.
• To resolve payment disputes, we keep a record of each payment with your confirmation, the printer bed size you gave, and each download (time, browser type and a scrambled form of your IP address).

Changes

We may update these terms. The date at the top shows the latest version. Contact: [contact email to be added].