![]() This is the core innovation philosophy that has led the company to bring 3D printing in the footwear industry and its growing 3D printed footwear line FutureCraft 4D, Alphaedge 4D, Y-3 Runner 4D II Sneakers, 4D Run 1.0, and more is a testament to that fact. Approaching the innovation challenge from an environmental perspective helps Adidas make products that are better for consumers and better for the planet, too. Innovations like focusing on thinner or lighter materials resulting in reduced waste and the carbon footprint, dry-dyeing clothes to save water, chemicals & energy are commonplace at Adidas. And so to keep the carbon footprint at its lowest, Adidas regularly runs programs to reduce carbon emissions from all its products. These factors also affect the environment the most. The innovation has many shades and it not only involves the product but also how the product is manufactured.īut the two most important aspects affecting any product is its material and the manufacturing process. The innovations start right from the time a product concept originates and ends only when the product is manufactured. That said, the company does plan to bring a variant of the Futurecraft 4D to retail this fall, although that release will be limited to 5,000 pairs.Above: Adidas Alphaedge 4D White Shoe/Image Credit: AdidasĪccording to the company, innovation is at the core of all its products. Unfortunately, Adidas only made 300 "friends-and-family" pairs of this particular design, so don't expect to see many people rocking these. Still, the Futurecraft 4Ds look crazy enough that I don't mind sacrificing a bit of comfort for style. I will say they're definitely not as comfortable as the Adidas NMDs I wore today, which feature a midsole with Boost technology, a soft foamy material that I often say is like a pillow for your feet. This is obviously a good thing since the Futurecraft 4D is designed to be a performance shoe through and through. What Carbon and Adidas came up with feels more like hardened Play-Doh, and you never get the sense that the pieces can break off. That's likely due to the Digital Light Synthesis materials being more flexible than traditional 3D printing plastic. I've been wearing the Futurecraft 4Ds for the better part of a day and the first thing I noticed, aside from the futuristic midsole, was how much more comfortable they are than the 3D Runners I tested a few months ago. Adidas did release 3D-printed runners to the public recently, but only a few hundred pairs were made available - although they retailed for $333, you'll now find them on eBay for upwards of $3,000. That commitment falls in line with what it has been doing with its Parley sneakers, which are made from recycled ocean plastic and are now being sold in stores. The tech will allow Adidas to manufacture 3D-printed shoes on a large scale, with the company planning to ship 100,000 pairs by the end of 2018. ![]() ![]() In this particular case, that was used to make and shape the shoe's midsole, while the upper is made out of Adidas' Primeknit material. According to Carbon 3D, the Sillicon Valley firm who developed it, this process is capable of making "durable, high-performance" 3D parts, unlike other conventional 3D printing methods. Last week, the sportswear giant revealed Futurecraft 4D, a sneaker designed partially with a manufacturing technology called Digital Light Synthesis, which creates 3D objects by mixing light and oxygen with programmable liquid resins. ![]() Adidas is getting serious about turning its 3D-printed concepts into consumer products.
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