Feetz is bringing 3D printed footwear to the mass market. With custom-fitted shoes for every customer, will “digital cobbling” be a success?
The company offers to make shoes which are individually tailored, as in traditional cobbling, but creating a perfect fit through modern technology.
In a clever stroke of marketing, they claim to have over 7 billion unique shoe sizes. One for every person on the planet.
The Tennessee-based startup, which started working in early 2014, plans to start selling their product later this year.
CEO Lucy Beard told The Washington Post: “We’re making custom shoes for people who can’t find shoes that fit. The interesting thing, though, is that we’re using your phone along with 3D printing technology to deliver your custom fit.”
How Are Feetz Footwear Made?
You then press a few more buttons detailing your height and weight, which provides more biometric information about your gait and stance.
Once the process is complete, in theory, you’ll never have to try on a pair of shoes again!
Customers then select and personalize their shoes from a range of different different styles. Within 24 hours, Feetz’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory prints your chosen footwear.
Feetz has raised $1.25 million in seed funding in order to begin producing its goods to consumers, the company says. They’re are using TPE, a material which is already common in shoemaking.
However, there’s a kicker. Feetz are estimated to cost between $150 and $280 for one pair, though Beard hopes to halve this once the process is streamlined. She believe that 3D printing will be the basis of a new manufacturing system for the future — not just a prototype.
So what do you think? Would you like to try a pair of Feetz? Or would you rather wait for some branded Adidas?
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