USA Diving has named Indianapolis-based FITASY, a maker of 3D printed custom-fit recovery footwear, as its official footwear partner. The partnership launched at the Bolzano Diving Meeting in Bolzano, Italy, on July 3, 2026, where National Team athletes and coaches wore FITASY’s Strides on the pool deck during competition. USA Diving announced the deal on July 9.
USA Diving is the national governing body for diving in the United States. The organization runs roughly 25 regional and national events a year and selects the teams that represent the country at the Olympic Games, World Championships, and World Cup.
Addressing a gap in poolside footwear
Between dives, athletes spend significant time on wet, cold pool decks for warm-ups, dryland training, and recovery. Mass-manufactured shoes get waterlogged in that setting, flip-flops lack structural support, and plastic clogs limit performance.
FITASY’s Strides are made from a single recyclable material with an open lattice structure that drains water and allows airflow, so the shoe dries quickly. The company says the same structure provides cushioning and shock absorption meant to reduce joint stress and support recovery after training or competition.
Executives on the partnership
Lee Michaud, President of USA Diving, called the shoes well suited for wearing around the pool and said the recovery benefits apply to athletes at any level. “This partnership will help USA Diving continue to support our divers as they strive to achieve their best performance,” he said.
Dr. Yujun Wang, CEO and co-founder of FITASY, said the explosive power divers generate launching off a 10-meter platform “puts immense stress on the foot, one of the most complex mechanical structures of the body.” The triple-layered lattice design was built for elite athletes, he explained, but also applies to coaches, facility staff, and others who spend long stretches in wet poolside environments as FITASY looks to grow across the broader aquatics and sports club market.
Scan-to-print technology and a limited colorway
Beyond elite sport, FITASY offers a scan-to-print process meant to provide custom-fit footwear outside standard mass production. A smartphone app built on spatial AI and imaging captures measurements of a person’s feet and generates a 3D model, which is then produced as a custom-fit shoe with a triple-layered lattice structure through digital light projection 3D printing.
To mark the partnership, FITASY is releasing a limited-edition colorway of the Stride, referred to in the release as “Aquadive,” with a gradient blue-and-white lattice that mirrors the colors the National Team wore in Bolzano. Pre-orders are open now on FITASY’s website ahead of the shoe’s release.
Validating custom-fit footwear through elite partnerships
FITASY’s deal with USA Diving follows a strategy other 3D printed footwear companies have used before: putting the technology on elite athletes first, then scaling toward a broader consumer market once it holds up under competition. Wang described the USA Diving deal in those terms in the press release, framing it as validation at the highest level ahead of FITASY’s expansion across the aquatics and sports club market, a plan already underway since the company’s scan-to-print process launched in December 2025 with consumer orders expected to begin in spring 2026.
Nike employed a similar approach with its Zoom Vaporfly Elite Flyprint, a 3D printed shoe built with then-marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and tested in elite competition before its wider release. While the products target different applications, both partnerships illustrate how elite sport can serve as an early proving ground for emerging 3D printed footwear.
3D Printing Industry is inviting speakers for its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Applications (AMA) series, covering Energy, Healthcare, Automotive and Mobility, Aerospace, Space and Defense, and Software. Each online event focuses on real production deployments, qualification, and supply chain integration. Practitioners interested in contributing can complete the call for speakers form here.
To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, don’t forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn.
Explore the full Future of 3D Printing and Executive Survey series from 3D Printing Industry, featuring perspectives from CEOs, engineers, and industry leaders on the industrialization of additive manufacturing, 3D printing industry trends 2026, qualification, supply chains, and additive manufacturing industry analysis.
Featured image shows 2026 FITASY USAD. Photo via FITASY.
