In 1958, Joe Foster, the co-founder of Reebok, helped grow the company to a value of $4 billion before leaving in 1991. Now, at 89 years old, he is launching a new high-tech shoe brand featuring 3D printed slides. These shoes, designed by AI, are the first of their kind and are fully printed from plastic filament layers stacked on top of each other.
The new brand, Syntilay, is led by serial entrepreneur Ben Weiss, who has released a weekly podcast, an NFT company, and a sneaker brand. The slides, available in five colors, are custom-made to fit each buyer and aim to tap into the growing U.S. footwear market, which generated $78 billion in revenue in 2021 and is projected to reach $104 billion in 2028.
Weiss and Foster plan to produce a limited run of the shoes before focusing on creating unique AI-designed shoes that brands and content creators can customize and sell as their own. The shoes are scanned for custom fit using a phone camera app and 3D printed specifically for each customer.
The advantages of 3D-printed shoes include faster development and the ability to quickly iterate on designs. Foster, drawing from his experience at Reebok, emphasized the importance of adapting to challenges and seeking out opportunities for growth.
With Syntilay, the goal is to gain credibility and recognition in the footwear industry, much like Reebok did in the past. The brand aims to offer innovative designs created with AI and 3D printing technology to brands and influencers looking to enter the footwear space.
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