World’s first AI-generated and 3D-printed shoe makes its dubious debut

In the world of ugly shoes, we’ve had some real bangers.

The first was the Croc, a one-piece rubber shoe ideal as a doorstop – until you tried one on and realized it might be the most comfortable thing you ever wore. your foot, despite the contemptuous looks of your peers. Then came the Kanye/Adidas collaboration-abomination called Yeezy, with a history so tumultuous that we hesitate to even talk about it.

Meet the new Syntilay, the world’s first fully AI-designed and 3D-printed piece of thermoplastic polyurethane to be called a shoe. The exact composition of the slide sandal hasn’t been made public, but there’s a good chance it’s made of TPU.

The company Syntilay used Midjourney AI to create the basic shape of the shoe, after which an artist drew a sketch based on Midjourney’s creation. This image was analyzed via Vizcom AI to produce a 3D computer model. After creating this model, generative AI was used to apply the patterns to the model to give it character.

Shoes are custom 3D printed for each order. Before you buy, the company asks you to scan each of your tootsies with your phone, so each shoe gives you a comfortable, personalized custom fit, even if your feet are two different sizes. They come in five colors and will cost you $149.99 USD for a pair. Click on any image to see the gallery of all colors.

Syntilay’s design, or rather that of Midjourney/Viscom AI, doesn’t just turn consumers’ heads. It also caught the attention of Joe Foster, who co-founded Reebok 67 years ago. The 89-year-old is now helping to launch the Syntilay slide. Having grown up Reebok in a $4 billion shoe empire before leaving the company in 1991, Foster has more than enough experience.

Syntilay CEO Ben Weiss is a serial entrepreneur who is only 25 years old. From podcasts to NFTs and now a shoe company, Weiss is looking to tap into the nearly $100 billion shoe market in the United States (and nearly half a trillion worldwide).

Foster and Weiss plan to 3D print a few thousand pairs to gain brand recognition, before pivoting to a strategy of creating unique designs for content creators and for other brands to market like theirs.

We made fun of Crocs when we first saw them as accessory shoes in the 2006 film. Idiocracy – and many still do. However, there’s no denying the success of a company that started out making boat clogs and is now worth nearly $6.5 billion, even spawning an entire fashion accessory subculture for his iconic/notorious shoes called Jibbitz.

Maybe Syntilay is right. While the name may sound more like a prescription heart medication than a high-tech shoe company, it’s derived from “glitter,” which means to sparkle…and you definitely will at your next event on the red carpet with these bad boys.

Source: Syntilay