SOLS, a footwear technology company, has announced a new partnership with athletic footwear brand Rykä – made exclusively for women. This makes Rykä one of the first footwear brands to expand its core product offering to include SOLS’ 3D printed orthotics, made through its MAPP3D customization platform.
For years, Rykä has designed shoes specifically for women. Understanding that women’s feet are built differently, Rykä ‘takes everything from foot shape to angle of stride into consideration’. The partnership with SOLS aims to take this focus one step further, leveraging SOLS’ patent-pending technology to offer RykäFit consumers custom 3-D printed orthotics.
RykäFit is a member-based fitness professional purchase program. The new 3D printed orthotics will be available at SCW Mania Fitness Conference in Dallas on 26-28 August. Both brands will be on-site at the show to launch the new program in which SOLS will be available exclusively to RykäFit consumers for a limited time.
“Today’s consumer is looking for customization and comfort. Partnering with SOLS allows us to offer a truly customized product solution,” said Deb Krivelow, SVP and GM of Rykä. “This is just the beginning of unlocking the potential around 3-D printing.”
“Introducing 3-D printing technology positions Rykä into the forefront of the fast-moving needs of the industry while satisfying the needs of the consumer,” added Natacha Alpert, Senior Manager of Innovation at Caleres, Rykä’s parent company.
“Rykä’s approach to female biomechanics is exemplary, and mirrors our own vision that no two feet are made equal,” said Kegan Schouwenburg, SOLS founder and CEO.
“This makes them the ideal launch partner for our platform. By partnering with Rykä, we’re reducing the reliance on aftermarket products for customized support, and ensuring a perfect fit every time. We love that a female focused brand is leading the charge towards mass customization.”
Founded in July 2013, SOLS Systems is a pioneer of advanced footwear technology. SOLS combines medical research, computer vision technology and digital manufacturing to build footwear products that better meet the unique needs of every individual. To date, the company has raised US$23.7 million in funding from investors including Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Tenaya Capital and Melo7 Tech Partners.
