Deerfield native Eric Porter never planned to find himself in the Olympic Village. But days before the Paris Olympics began in July, Porter was packing four bags with 25 pairs of basketball shoes and a simple goal: to take his footwear business, Stria, to the next level. When Porter first launched Stria in 2021, he didn’t know if the business would extend further than an initial design and a dream to make a better basketball shoe. But over the past three years, Porter’s shoes have been worn by a variety of professional players, including Olympians Gian Clavell of Puerto Rico and Majok Deng and Kuany Kuany of South Sudan. Yet in the weeks leading up to Paris, Porter had a problem. There wasn’t a simple mailing address for the Olympic Village. He quickly realized he couldn’t send any Stria shoes to athletes once they were settled in Paris. But all three players were scattered across Europe playing exhibitions weeks before the Olympics began — Clavell in Orleans, France, and Deng and Kuany in London. Finally, Porter landed on the simplest solution. He bought a ticket to Paris, packed two suitcases and two carry-on bags with 25 pairs of shoes and hand-delivered each box to the Olympic Village. Even coordinating a simple hand-off through Olympic security was a challenge. But during each delivery, Porter caught a glimpse of the unique environment — teams bustling to practice, athletes locked in before an event — that defines the Olympics. “It was surreal,” Porter said. “The Olympics just bring a completely different energy. Everyone in the world is watching. Everyone knows what’s going on. Everyone’s just laser focused, but they’re also enjoying the moment. Being there in person, it was amazing.” Porter’s love of basketball and his interest in sneakers went hand in hand, from his childhood hooping in the suburbs to his college career at Loyola and Lake Forest College. His father traveled internationally for work throughout Porter’s childhood, bringing back sneakers that weren’t available in the U.S. Collecting those shoes from abroad keyed Porter into the vast international sneaker culture — and made him wonder how smaller brands might take hold in Europe and other basketball-crazy regions. “I just liked having stuff that no one else had,” Porter said. “That’s when I started thinking about what you can say about yourself by what shoes you’re wearing.” South Sudan’s Majok Deng competes in the 2024 Paris Olympics wearing Stria shoes, a company founded by Deerfield’s Eric Porter. (Peter Backus/Handout) His dream was to land a job with a major brand. But Porter quickly realized the hurdles ahead of him as an inexperienced designer attempting to break into the industry. At the same time, he felt frustrated by the trajectory of basketball shoe design. Over the years, men’s shoes had trended toward heavier models intended to provide higher ankle stability. As a result, most of the sneakers Porter was trying out were averaging 14 or 15 ounces — a cumbersome weight for smaller or slower players who want to maintain nimbleness on the court. Lighter models have been a focus of the industry in more recent designs. For instance, Nike’s Sabrina line, produced in partnership with WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu, averages between 11.5 and 12.5 ounces. Creating a lighter sneaker became Porter’s main goal in creating his debut design, the 107 series, which weighs in at 11.8 ounces. Bringing that vision to life started by reaching out to professionals in the industry. When he connected with footwear designer Peter Backus — who previously worked for Nike and Patagonia — Porter felt he’d found the right fit for collaboration. “Over time, I started to think: OK, maybe I can do the whole thing,” Porter said. “I decided to just give it a crack. I don’t know if anyone’s going to buy these shoes, but why not see what we can do?” Puerto Rico’s Gian Clavell is defended by Team USA’s Anthony Edwards (5) during the 2024 Paris Olympics while wearing Stria shoes, a company founded by Deerfield’s Eric Porter. (Peter Backus/Handout) Building a consumer base as a new sportswear company isn’t easy. Established brands such as Nike and Adidas — and their subsidiaries, such as Jordan Brand — dominate the space. And other long-standing brands such as New Balance have revamped their focus to dig into the basketball space, leaving little wiggle room for a smaller company like Stria to find footing. When the 107 series first launched in 2021, Porter focused on outreach to unsigned players abroad and in the U.S. who might show interest in a lesser-known brand, connecting his shoes with more than 70 professional athletes. After seeing his product worn at the Olympics, Porter is eager to continue growing his brand. He already released a secondary line of shoes for everyday use and plans to expand with professional basketball players in Europe. And he’s open to explore every niche as new athletes order Stria shoes — including expansion into a burgeoning sport such as pickleball. “It’s a total learning curve,” Porter said. “But you know, that’s part of the journey. And that’s what makes it fun — taking a risk and seeing what you can do from scratch. “We’re virtually unknown. We have a small community that we’ve created. But what’s important for where we’re at as a company is just making really quality stuff that our customers will like. I just want to keep learning. The rest will come.”