Created by New Zealand-based footwear firm Three Over Seven, the Wool Runner launched on Kickstarter in February and sold out of their 1,064 pairs of available shoes in under five days…raising nearly $120,000 with a $30,000 initial funding goal.
For those who have skied, hiked, or generally ever appreciated wool in the form of socks or a sweater, you already know just how amazing this natural material is. The unique properties of wool allow for it to be temperature regulating, moisture-wicking, anti-odor, and extremely durable. In terms of the 3D printed outsole design, the design shares similar ‘sliced’ characteristics to the Nike Free…which is actually itself inspired by a method that Vietnamese solders used to enable them to climb trees faster: the soldiers would take fine blades and slice up the stiff rubber outsoles of their boots to create more flexibility and grip.
With the wild success of their Kickstarter campaign, the Three Over Seven team is currently developing a sizing app that allows a user to create a NikeID-like custom shoe that is actually based off of a scan of their own foot. Previously, we’ve seen this concept being used at Nike to create custom cleats for professional athletes…however this is the first we’ve seen for something in the consumer market. Perhaps the most impressive part though? The designers say that their goal is to get you your custom-sized shoes within 24 hours.
