Portland footwear startup Hilos announced the launch of its new studio platform that will allow independent designers to design and create their own shoes on demand with zero waste.
The creation of Hilos Studio coincides with a rebrand for the startup as it appears to be shifting more into manufacturing. But this has always been part of the plan, co-founder and CEO Elias Stahl previously told the Business Journal.
“Our mission is to change the way the world makes, not to make our own unique Hilos line of footwear. We want to help the entire industry adopt this technology,” Stahl said last year.
The Old Town-based company develops footwear made of 80% recycled materials that are 100% recyclable using 3D printing. The shoes are designed in three separately printed parts that fit together and can also be taken apart and repurposed.
Hilos is also building up its investor and advisory board with many industry veterans.
Earlier this year, it announced a funding round from investors including retired Nike Chief Operating Officer Eric Sprunk and retired Nike Vice President Greg Bui.
Now, Hilos is announcing the team behind the studio launch former Adidas Vice President of Strategy and Innovation James Carnes, former creative director of Rapha and Allbirds Alex Valdman, former creative director at Arcteryx Cooper Gill and former chief brand officer at Vanguards Fashion Group Christopher Morency.
The brand previously sold its shoes online in a variety of styles geared towards women, ranging from sandals to clogs. But that retailing page has been replaced with the Hilos Studio page that tells designers they can “transform ideas into shipments within weeks.”
Correction: A previous version of this story said Hilos was shifting purely to manufacturing and away from retailing, but it will continue to do some retail, and listed some new employees of the company as investors. The story has been edited to reflect those corrections.
