Syntilay Puts 3D Printed, AI-Developed Shoes on the Market

For several years, we have seen 3D printing for shoe production become a rising trend. Numerous sports shoes now have midsoles made by 3D printers and fashion shoes feature 3D printed elements. Complete footwear from the printer, on the other hand, is still rare and hardly goes beyond design specimens or does not meet the aesthetic taste of the masses. Think of Zellerfeld, the company that cooperates with numerous luxury brands and designers or celebrities to print wild creations; or ELASTIUM with its futuristic-looking sneakers. The startup Syntilay wants to go beyond these boundaries and offer fully 3D printed shoes that can be commercially purchased and worn by anyone. Another highlight? The shoes were largely developed using artificial intelligence (AI).
Syntilay was founded by 25-year-old entrepreneur Ben Weiss and developed quickly with the help of a wide-ranging team of advisors. One of the most prominent advisors is Joe Foster, who co-founded Reebok in 1958 and now provides Weiss with advice and support. Syntilay’s goal is big: based on the word scintillate, which means to flash light, the startup wants to bring out the sparkle and shine in people by letting them wear their favorite creations and express themselves through fashion. Syntilay also explicitly aims to allow influencers to go beyond private labels for T-shirts and hats and to be able to distribute shoes through Syntilay. Syntilay’s focus on the trends of the time is evident in its marketing but also in its technology, as the shoes of the future were developed with AI and manufactured using 3D printing.

The concept for the shoe was designed using artificial intelligence.
Syntilay Relies on AI-Supported Design
The design process for the Croc-like slide shoes was mainly carried out by AI tools and supervised by humans. The AI MidJourney took the first step and suggested numerous concepts for the shape and design. This was followed by sketching, which was carried out by a human, designer Kedar Benjamin. He created a standardized sketch of the shoe based on the AI concepts. The Vizcom tool then used this to create a 3D model. To refine this, another generative AI developed patterns and textures. The final design features an interesting pattern, lettering on the sole and different mesh layers. Comfort is ensured by the ergonomic shape, which provides support and allows ventilation.
According to Syntilay, artificial intelligence has significantly improved the efficiency of the design process. This also resulted in environmental benefits by reducing waste and economic benefits by speeding up the process. Syntilay points out on its website that the entire idea-to-market process could be accelerated by a factor of 9. AI played a central role in this, as Joe Foster also emphasizes: “AI is unlocking incredible capabilities for design in software, yet physical products haven’t benefited. It is time for that to change with our slide shoe!”

Generative AI provided the final pattern for the shoe.
3D Printing for Customized Shoes
The Syntilay shoes are currently available to order on the website in five different colors – red, beige, orange, blue and black – as a men’s or women’s model at $149.99. Each pair can be personalized and is printed on demand. The customer first selects their preferred model in a reference shoe size. They are then forwarded to the partner company Zellerfeld, which takes care of the printing. Before that, however, the customer’s feet are measured by scanning them using their smartphone camera. It only takes a few minutes to upload the data and Zellerfeld then prints the shoes from thermoplastic polyurethane to fit each customer.
Syntilay is now planning to expand its business model. Nevertheless, the company seems to have struck a chord with its approach. Cornelius Schmitt, CEO of Zellerfeld, agrees that AI and 3D printing go well together: “AI unlocks never-before-seen design capabilities that our 3D printers are uniquely equipped to produce. We empower brands like Syntilay to design and market groundbreaking footwear. It’s a new age.” Find out more about Syntilay HERE.

Der Syntilay-Schuh ist fünft verschiedenen Farben erhältlich.
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*All Photo Credits: Syntilay