Feetz, a San Diego Founder Institute Graduate, just debuted in public their customizable, 3D-printed footwear at Startup Week in Chattanooga on October 14. They have also been featured in the November 2015 Issue of Fast Company Magazine about their story.
Feetz is a startup that makes footwear which is customizable and uses 3D-printing technology. Using Feetz’s app, customers can take photos of their feet, which will be translated into virtual 3D fit models to create footwear that is tailored just for them in the perfect size. Customers can choose their desired color and style from the five options that Feetz currently provides, such as a Cubist flat and a street shoe with a Flyknit-like weave. In 24 hours, Feetz’s factory would print the footwear from TPE, a rubbery material common in shoe soles.
The Founder of Feetz is Lucy Beard, a lady who is experienced in the startup industry, having worked in Zynga and Intuit before. As told to Fast Company Magazine, Beard came up with the idea while drinking a grande mocha latte in Starbucks after a frustrating hour of shoe shopping. She wondered why coffee could be more customizable than footwear, and decided that she wanted to do something better.
While the initial cost of a pair of Feetz footwear might be between $200-$300, Beard expects that the cost would be halved once Feetz has finished streamlining the process. “We see 3D printing not just as something to use to prototype, but as the basis of a new manufacturing system”.
Thus far, Feetz has raised $1.25 million in seed funding, from investors such as Khosla Ventures, Uli Becker (former CEO of Reebok) and The JumpFund.
Feetz will be launching their products in Spring 2016, so the public can get the chance to buy 3D printed customized footwear very soon.
For more information about Feetz, check out their website here, and read about them in Fast Company and Nooga.
