Old, and New, Sneakers
Pablo didn't care so much about the summer heat as the pain in his feet. He ran up and down the dusty turf field feeling his toes get pinched with each kick of the ball. He charged down the field for a few yards before the pain in his heel became unbearable. He stumbled and the ball rolled out of bounds. He pounded the grass with his fist and his teammate gave him a sympathetic look.
"He needs new shoes," Violeta said, watching her son wince in pain.
"He just bought him new cleats for Christmas," Ivan grumbled. "It feels like we're buying him shoes every month."
Pablo was growing like a weed and the cost of upgrading his equipment was taking a bit hit on their wallet. They loved to watch him play, but it didn't seem great to buy yet another pair of shoes only to see them be outgrown shortly afterwards.
"I can't run anymore," Pablo mumbled at the dinner table that night, gingerly taking off his socks to show off his blistered toe. "My shoes are too small."
"Can you not take off your shoes at the table?" Ivan grumbled.
"We know it's causing pain, mijo," Violeta knelt by him and looked at his red toes. "It's just that... you are growing faster than we can get you new shoes."
"Remember that place I saw online, Violeta? In Astoria. 'Reform Footwear'. I read that they are doing something with 3D printing and organic materials and they offer discounts for recycling."
"I remember seeing a flyer!" Violeta's eyes lit up. "It sounded too good to be true, but it's worth a look. As long as we're not constantly buying new plastic."
If they could help Pablo play without pain, and reduce their carbon footprint, it was appealing. If it led to them saving money over the long run, it could easily be worth their while.
The next Saturday, they took the bus westwards to the busy streets of Astoria. They turned onto 33rd Avenue and saw the under-spoken sign of the shoe store. Along its façade was a small garden with green vines cascading down.
When they stepped inside, Ivan could smell a particular earthiness in the air like they were inside a greenhouse. The space seemed simultaneously minimalist yet high-tech. The store felt empty aside from shelves of display shoes along the four walls.
"Hello there," a clerk rushed over to them with a warm smile. "My name is Olesya."
"My name is Pablo," he replied, shifting between his feet to avoid putting too much pressure on one.
"Those are nice cleats."
"Yes but they are way too small for him," Violeta explained. "And to be honest, we can't really keep buying him a new pair every couple months. So that's why we are here. We've heard you do something differently?"
"That's right," she gestured towards a large platform in the center of the store. "We create 3D-printed athletic wear custom fit to your feet with a mycelium polymer. They're sturdy enough for playing, but then you can bring them back and we can recycle the material in the back for new products. So once you're a customer with us, you can get a discount on your next pair."
"So it's a closed-loop system," Ivan observed.
"Yeah, no waste and a perfect fit."
"Printing?" Pablo was amazed.
"Exactly," Olesya replied. "First we can get a model of your foot using our optical scanner. It will capture the exact shape of your foot to ensure there's no more pinching."
She led Pablo over to the platform. "Step up there and take off your shoes. Then just stand still."
Pablo eagerly undid his laces and stepped out of his shoes. He practically leapt up onto the platform and placed his feet in the middle of it. His toes curled as they felt the smooth surface.
From unseen points around the platform, gentle green lights swept over his bare feet. On a large transparent display screen, a wireframe of his foot started being developed in real-time. Pablo watched with fascination at the details, first appearing as a faint, ghostly outline and then filling in with digital textures.
"This digital blueprint is going to be uploaded to our printers," Olesya pointed to the screen. "It allows us to get a valuable understanding of arch support, toe gaps, and even the minute differences between your left and right foot."
Pablo grew excited with the idea of a shoe made perfectly to fit him.
After the scan finished, Olesya moved over to a series of machines inside of large glass boxes in the back of the door.
"These are the source of our magic, the printers."
She initiated the print sequence. Inside, a robotic arm moved gracefully across the print bed, extruding a thin polymer. With each successive layer, the organic material built up, slowly forming the complex shape of a soccer cleat. Pablo closed his eyes and imagined how well he'd be able to play soccer. He could even smell something like freshly cut grass as the printer ran.
"Because we're not cutting and stitching, there's basically no material waste when we do the manufacturing. This is the future of footwear."
They waited around the store for about a full hour before the printer chimed softly. Olesya returned to the printer and lifted up the glass block gingerly. Using oven mitts, she grabbed them out of the printer and placed them on a ceramic tile.
"Okay Pablo, your shoes are ready," she announced. "Just give them a few minutes to cool."
Pablo rushed over to see. They were a deep, vibrant green like the color of the jungle. The cleat's studs were an extension of the sole rather than being added in later in the production.
"You should be able to put them on now," she told him.
Pablo swiped the left shoe from the tile and slid his foot into it. It didn't feel too tight, nor too lose. It was like putting on a second skin, able to fit snugly around him. He wiggled his toes, surprised by his newfound freedom. The second cleat felt the same.
He stood up and took a step forward, then bounced on the balls of his feet.
"Well, how do they feel?" Ivan wondered.
"My toes aren't being pinched. They're not falling out. They feel amazing!"
Ivan looked over at Violeta. The cost already felt worth it.
Next Saturday, Pablo ran out onto the field in his new cleats with a surge of confidence. He sprinted during warm-ups and jumped with a deftness that even surprised himself.
During the game, the ball deflected off an opposing defender and rolled his way. He took that chance to reach the ball. His new cleats dug into the turf with a perfect traction. He touched the ball slightly to get it into his control. Then, he wound back his leg and unleashed a powerful shot. The ball soared in a large arc over the goalie's read and slammed into a back corner of the net with a satisfying clang.
Pablo pumped his fist in the air as his teammates rushed over to cheer along with him. He knew that the cleats hadn't magically made him a better player, but unlocked his full potential.
"Look at him go," Violeta squeezed Ivan's hand. "He hasn't played like that in a year."
"I guess the cleats really do make the man," Ivan nodded proudly. "I guess it was worth the cost, but it'll be even better to get those cheap upgrades as he keeps growing up."