Aug 11, 2016 | By Benedict

Sportswear giant Adidas is giving pairs of its 3D printed “Triple Black” Futurecraft running shoe to all Adidas athletes who win medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The shoe comes in three varieties of shoelace: gold, silver, and bronze, corresponding to the recipient’s podium standing.

The 3D Printed Winners Shoe

With the demand for 3D printed footwear rising rapidly, many would-be wearers of additive sneakers would probably run a mile to land themselves a pair. For Adidas-sponsored athletes at the Olympics, that’s exactly what they will need to do, because the German mega-brand is offering pairs of its Triple Black Futurecraft sneakers to all podium-finishing athletes at the summer sporting event.

The 3D printed running shoe, which has been road-tested for long-distance running (up to 6 miles), features an engineered 3D Primeknit web upper—denser in areas of high force—and 3D printed heel. The shoe requires no gluing or stitching whatsoever for assembly. The shoe is similar in style to a Futurecraft design previewed in 2015.

Fittingly, the new 3D printed Adidas running shoe, whose upper, middle, and lower sections are all black, comes in three shoelace varieties: gold, silver, and bronze, depending on the medal won by the recipient athlete. The first athlete to scoop a pair was silver-medal-winning Tyla Nathan-Wong, a 22-year-old New Zealand women’s rugby player.

New Zealand rugby player Tyla Nathan-Wong / Image: Kevin C. Cox

Because of the Olympic connection, the sportswear giant is dubbing its footwear creation, currently only available to Rio podium finishers, the “3D Printed Winners Shoe.” Those not competing in the Games will have to wait a little longer to get their feet in the cool 3D printed pumps, with no commercial release date announced at present.

In June, Adidas ran a competition in which contestants could win a pair of limited edition, 3D printed sneakers made from recycled ocean waste. The promotion for the green-and-white sneaker was held to celebrate World Oceans Day 2016. The first 3D printed Futurecraft shoe was showcased in 2015 after the sportswear giant received the additive expertise of 3D printing company Materialise.

Adidas 3D printed shoe made from recycled ocean waste

Other sportswear brands to explore 3D printed footwear include Under Armour, whose ultra-stylish UA Architech shoe features a 3D printed lattice midsole and ClutchFit auxetic upper, and New Balance, which released 44 pairs of its $400, 3D printed Zante Generate running shoe ahead of the Boston Marathon earlier this year.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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