Reebok Founder Bets on AI + 3D Printing to Create

Home > Applications

Reebok Founder Bets on AI + 3D Printing to Create "Personalized" Footwear

March 17, 2026 Applications 10029

Joe Foster, the co-founder of sportswear giant Reebok, has made a new move—joining emerging footwear brand Syntilay as an advisor.

This company takes an unconventional path, using artificial intelligence and 3D printing technology to create custom-tailored shoes for each individual.

Syntilay's customization process is simple: users scan their feet with their mobile phones, and the system captures over 5,000 data points to generate a digital model that fits the contours of each foot. Subsequently, AI designs based on this data, and production is carried out on-demand locally in the United States through Zellerfeld's footwear 3D printing platform. Every pair of shoes is manufactured "1-to-1" according to your foot shape, completely eliminating the "close enough" nature of traditional shoe sizing.

This "scan-to-fit" model not only saves the tooling costs associated with traditional shoemaking but also compresses the product development cycle. By leveraging 3D printer farms, Syntilay achieves mass customization and avoids inventory backlogs. This model was envisioned as the future of the industry over a decade ago, and with the maturation of scanning and printing technologies, it is finally becoming a reality.

Syntilay has already launched several shoe models, including the Pulse Podz and Luminez, with prices generally ranging from $100 to $200. The Pulse Podz, a 3D-printed slide featuring a lattice-based structure, adapts to pressure zones on the foot while ensuring breathability. To promote its customization concept, Syntilay has also set up an in-person scanning location in New York's Times Square to collect foot data.

From AI-driven design to 3D printing, and with the endorsement of a Reebok founder, Syntilay is attempting to redefine the very meaning of a "good fit." Perhaps in the near future, buying shoes will no longer be about selecting a size, but simply "scanning a code."