Finding shoes that perfectly fit is a chore. There are plenty of shoes in your size, but a lot of them just feel a little off. With help from 3D printers, one company is aiming to solve this problem by making shoes custom designed for your feet.
CNBC reports that feetZ, a startup formed out of the idea that shoes should be custom made for the individual, is using 3D printers to realize its ambition. It’s another example of how 3D printers are revolutionizing established industries with manufacturing methods that don’t involve sweat shops in Southeast Asia.
So, how does this all work? Like most 3D printed projects, you start with a 3D model that’s obtained when the consumer sends feetZ pictures of their feet. The pictures are then digitized and used to craft shoes that fit your size perfectly. Each shoe is designed specifically for each foot so it will be especially advantageous for those who have one foot that’s bigger than the other.
While it certainly sounds like a great idea for all consumers, this is only a start up at the moment. It’s going to have a focus on a specific market and build up from there. In this case, that specific target market is those who suffer from orthopedic problems and require special footwear. Through the use of 3D printing, feetZ would be able to reduce the cost of custom shoes by quite a bit.
Still, if you want to try out a 3D printed shoe for yourself, the company is accepting 100 beta testers to get their hands on an earl product. These first shoes will be printed with a rubber-like material and will help inform feetZ on ways they can improve the product before making them generally available later this year.
Image via feetZ