Abstract: As new manufacturing technologies forge ahead, traditional crafts, though embracing opportunities, are facing new challenges. As one of Chinese typical intangible cultural heritages, the shell carving craft in Dongtou, a county of Wenzhou City in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, has a long history, distinctive technological features and high artistic value, but it is facing development restrictions because of many reasons such as lack of raw materials, skilled personnel and innovation. By virtue of the technical advantages of 3D printing’s layer-by-layer printing and convenience in post-processing, this paper innovatively simulated the artistic details, surface texture and assembly process of shell carving art through a series of simulation experiments and design practices. Based on the current market demand, this essay also discussed the development space and trend of integrating elements of this intangible cultural heritage into fashionable footwear design.