First mass production sneaker customization factory opens in US

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
May 21, 2018

Brooks Running Company has already signed on to work with Superfeet Worldwide Inc.'s new US-based factory, Flowbuilt Manufacturing, whose capacities speed up the design-to-market process for in-line and custom sneakers.

Flowbuilt offers an on-site prototyping lab and 3D printing. It also hosts the only commercially available multi-section-injection (MSI) machine in the US. MSI is an HP technology that takes an individual's biometric data and creates a customized midsole using a proprietary platform. The technology was previously unavailable in the US.

Speaking of the concept behind the facility in a release, Eric Hayes, chief marketing officer at Superfeet, said, "To date your choices have been very limited when it came to finding the best resources to bring footwear from ideation to fruition in a very quick timeframe, even more so if you wanted to do so with elements of customization."

The competitive need to be first-to-market makes Flowbuilt's facility particularly interesting for brands. The factory touts speedy prototyping which will help shorten the design and development calendar for both in-line styles and customized one-offs.

Chuck Sanson, director of business development at Flowbuilt Manufacturing explained, "we set out to create a clear path for brands to design and deliver their future before anyone else can."

Flowbuilt's first sneaker manufacturing partner, Brooks, was announced in Austin in 2017. The first Flowbuilt Brooks shoes will hit the market later this year.

Flowbuilt Manufacturing is located in Ferndale, Washington, in between Seattle and Vancouver, BC.