Jasmin Malik Chua , 10/09/15   filed under: Eco-Fashion Brands, Eco-Friendly Shoes, Wearable Technology Unlike collaborator Kanye West, who voiced his concern in September about three-dimensional printing “destroying” the fashion industry, Adidas isn’t threatened by the idea of people making their Yeezies at home. In fact, it’s counting on it. The sportswear giant unveiled on Wednesday the “Futurecraft 3D,” a 3D-printed, customized running-shoe midsole designed to meet the cushioning needs of an individual’s foot. Hailing it a “production breakthrough,” Adidas says the concept piece will take the running-shoe standard to the “next level” by offering a flexible carbon copy of the athlete’s foot, down to his or her exact contours and pressure points. Adidas envisions its customer entering one of its stores, running briefly on a treadmill, and then almost immediately getting a custom-fitted, 3D-printed running shoe. “Futurecraft 3D is a prototype and a statement of intent,” said Eric Liedtke, executive board member of Adidas, responsible for global brands, in a statement.

“We have used a one-of-its-kind combination of process and material in an entirely new way. Our 3D-printed midsole not only allows us to make a great running shoe, but also to use performance data to drive truly bespoke experiences, meeting the needs of any athlete.”Adidas Working on “Endlessly Recyclable” Zero-Waste Soccer Cleat The result of a partnership with Materialise, a leading provider of 3D-printing products and services, the Futurecraft 3D is only the “first step” in a series of projects dedicated to open-source innovation and collaboration. “Futurecraft is our sandbox. It is how we challenge ourselves every day to explore the boundaries of our craft,” said Paul Gaudio, creative director at Adidas. “Driving material and process innovation, bringing the familiar into the future. Marrying the qualities of hand crafting and prototyping with the limitless potential of new manufacturing technologies. Futurecraft is stripped back—fast, raw, and real—it is our approach to design.”

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Please note that gratuitous links to your site are viewed as spam and may result in removed comments.Click here to signin. Username {{ $formCreate.username.server }} Email Address {{ $formCreate.email.server }} Password {{ $formCreate.password.server }} I agree to the use of my personal information as described in the Autodesk Privacy Statement. Or sign in using social media Or sign up using social media Username {{{ $formLogin.username.server }}} Password {{{ $formLogin.password.server }}} Or sign in using social media Or sign up using social mediaThe race to bring a 3D-printed shoe to market is on. New Balance on Thursday announced plans to start selling what it promises to be the first-ever running shoe with a 3D-printed midsole in April 2016. But the company will have some competition on that front from Adidas, which last month showed off its own 3D-printed running shoe prototype.

New Balance created its upcoming shoe with the help of 3D Systems and plans to launch it first in Boston before making it available in select retail locations around the world. nike black shoes wideThose attending CES in January will be among the first to get a peek at the limited-edition shoe in person.best place to buy basketball shoes online australia The company said it used "underfoot pressure data from heel strikers" to formulate its latest 3D-printed midsole designs, which feature more cushioning elements in areas of higher-than-average pressure. nike shoes on sale ebayThey're using a process called selective laser sintering, which converts power materials into solid cross sections, layer by layer, using a laser.

The result, New Balance says, is a "previously unavailable combination of strength and elasticity that is ideal for performance running shoes." This isn't New Balance's first foray into 3D printing. The company in 2013 became the first athletic brand to have a track athlete, middle distance runner Jack Bolas, compete in 3D-printed spike plates. "In 2013 we said this was the future of footwear manufacturing and today we are proud to bring the future to consumers with a fully 3D printed midsole," New Balance President and CEO Robert DeMartini said in a statement. "With 3D printing we are able to pursue performance customization at a whole new level. The New Balance Innovation Team is showcasing the latest in performance running and these advancements signify an important step forward to becoming one of the world's top athletic brands." For a closer look at the 3D-printed running shoe, check out the video below.People in many industries treat 3d printing as a key topic of interest both in techniques and printing materials for a number of reasons.

ZDNet had an article earlier this year which examined reasons behind the interest. Rapid prototyping would allow companies to experiment and try new products at cheaper costs than was possible Another opportunity that 3D printing could offer is the ability to produce small batches of high-quality goods, personalized according to the customers' requests, in a more cost-effective way than before. The article said that in Mestre near Venice, shoemaker Simone Segalin used a 3D printer for a shoe to be created on-demand, tailored to a customer's foot. The client needed to measure her foot with a laser scanner and email the data to Venice, where the shoe was to be produced and shipped back. New Balance made news this week as a well known shoe brand stepping up to 3D printing's future in footwear. Tyler Koslow, a writer for 3D Printing Industry, said, "3D printing technology has been utilized for footwear and orthopedic support by quite a few companies and individuals thus far.

From the medically-supportive company SOLS, who 3D print custom-made insoles for the comfort and support of each wearer, to the fashionable reactive footwear created by MIT designers, additive manufacturing is no stranger to our feet." New Balance has made news with its 3D-printed running shoe. In 2016, New Balance will bring running shoes with 3D-printed midsoles out of the lab. The company announced Thursday they will launch the running shoe with its 3D-printed midsole. This is a collaboration between the shoe company and 3D Systems. That collaboration opened doors for biomechanics experts to sit down with plastics engineering and design experts. The company talked about the printing technique in having used selective laser sintering (SLS). This is a process which converts powder materials into solid cross-sections, layer by layer, using a laser. They used 3D Systems' elastomeric powder DuraForm Flex TPU. The latter gives parts a combination of strength and elasticity suitable for performance running shoes.

New Balance, said Fast Company, "says it has found a material that achieves an acceptable mix of flexibility and weight for performance wear. This year, New Balance partnered with South Carolina-based 3D Systems to incorporate one of the company's' new elastomer materials into its printing process." Koslow said New Balance did not just hop on to the printing bandwagon overnight. "New Balance has been experimenting with implementing 3D printing technology into footwear design since 2012," he said. In 2013, according to the company, a track athlete, middle distance runner Jack Bolas, competed with data-customized, 3D-printed spike plates. When will you see the running shoes in action? First as a limited edition, the shoe will be available in April and then "in select New Balance retail locations around the globe." said the company. The shoes will also be on display and in use by employees in the 3D Systems booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Would consumers really care about whether not their shoe pars were 3D printed?