Designing shoes on Earth is so last season. That’s the message coming from Syntilay, a footwear startup backed by Reebok co-founder Joe Foster, which plans to collaborate with two space-tech firms to create what may become the first shoe design generated in orbit.
The mission involves testing whether artificial intelligence and blockchain computing, normally resource-hungry activities on Earth, can be made more sustainable by taking them off-planet.
AI meets Orbit: a floating design studio
The project is a three-way partnership between Syntilay, Copernic Space (a digital marketplace for space assets), and OrbitsEdge, which provides AI and blockchain infrastructure.
Together, they’re launching an AI-powered computer aboard a solar- and battery-powered satellite that will orbit Earth and produce a space-born shoe design.
The satellite is scheduled for launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in early 2026.
The AI agents running on the satellite will use their off-Earth environment to generate a full 3D shoe design, complete with patterns, shading, and texture.
If the satellite’s processing power hits a limit, it will send back a 2D version instead.
Once received on Earth, Syntilay will use customers’ foot scans and 3D printing to manufacture the final product, priced at around $200 a pair.
Space tech for style and sustainability
The broader goal here isn’t just about interstellar fashion.
OrbitsEdge and Copernic Space want to test whether power-intensive computing tasks, like crypto mining and AI model training, can be moved off-planet to ease the environmental burden on Earth.
Rick Ward, CEO of OrbitsEdge, told Bloomberg the mission aims to reduce carbon-intensive operations by shifting them into space, where solar energy can power computing without stressing terrestrial grids.
Still, some experts caution that building and launching space-based computing systems comes with its own supply chain and infrastructure challenges.
Ben Hertz-Shargel of research firm Wood Mackenzie noted that while the idea could relieve strain on Earth’s resources, the process of getting the hardware to space remains costly and complex.
As for Syntilay’s ambitions, they aren’t expecting to flood the market.
“We can’t make a lot of shoes,” said Joe Foster, now 90, who oversees product development. But he’s betting the novelty will turn heads: “People will say, ‘I got that shoe that came out of a design from space."
Whether it’s a tech breakthrough or a cosmic marketing stunt, it’s definitely one small step for fashion, and maybe a giant leap for space commerce.
