SOLS Systems, developer of a unique line of custom, corrective orthotics, has announced that their flagship SOLS product is available for sale across the United States. Achy feet can now outfit themselves with a prescription pair of tailor-made insoles thanks to the company’s distributed network of podiatrists and 3D printing technology.
At the SOLS website, users can search for the closest provider in the company’s network, have their feet scanned by a professional podiatrist in ten minutes, and purchase a pair of custom orthotics, 3D printed just for them. The insoles, made from NASA-grade nylon, aren’t just tailored to the physical features of a wearer’s feet; using the company’s 3D modeling platform, patients can select the style of their SOLS’ leather top to suit their tastes, too.
And, while patients can easily find SOLS-certified physicians through the company’s website, their doctors are privy to a full patient management system that includes tips, tricks, and training materials. As the SOLS network of 70 providers across the country grows, new podiatrists can become a part of their service by signing up here.
Dr. Lloyd Bowser, based in Baltimore, says of the new product, “This is just the beginning. SOLS will be a tour de force in merging technology with our everyday lives enhancing both our present and our future for years to come.” DPM and human movement specialist, Dr. Emily Splichal, adds, “SOLS has been able to take the orthotic scanning and prescription process from archaic and sterile to tech-savvy and fashionable. I have had many patients return to get additional pairs of SOLS after having such a positive experience and comfortable fit with the product.”
To some outside of the 3D printing industry, 3D printed insoles may not seem like a big deal; however, custom, 3D printed orthotics can be seen as a simple, and practical, representation of what 3D printing offers to consumers. On the one hand, 3D printed insoles can be fabricated relatively easily and serve a distinct purpose, to make mass manufactured shoes more comfortable. On the other hand, they demonstrate the capability of 3D printing to yield items tailor-made to the unique individual. As one of the earliest examples of customized mass-manufacturing, SOLS can list itself alongside Invisalign braces and 3D printed hearing aids as powerful symbols of how companies can mass produce items suited to the individual through the use of 3D printing.
Podfo in the UK are already commercially selling 3D printed bespoke insoles that have been assessed by clinicians at Harvard University, you should take a look http://www.podfo.com/