The Development Of 3D Customized Sports Shoes Is Getting Faster And Faster.

3D printing is playing an increasingly important role in people's life. From clothing, nail to chocolate, 3D printing has become a trend.

Now, this trend has spread to major sports shoes brands.

According to everyone's foot type customized sports shoes suitable for different sports types, it must be the ultimate ideal paradigm of sports shoes.

The emergence of 3D printing seems to provide a shortcut for the realization of this goal.

At present, many brands of sports shoes including New Balance, Adidas and Nike have begun to involve in the field of 3D printing, and have achieved epoch-making product upgrading with high technology.

New Balance, in collaboration with Nervous System, a design studio in Marseilles, uses sole pressure data and unique foam structure to create a middle class of shoe soles that "geometrically adapt to different strength" and tailor shoes for all types of runners.

To find out how to walk the sample of different runners and how to stay on foot, the studio collects plantar pressure data with Lawrence New Balance Sports Research Lab.

Based on the test results of various types of runners, they invented a midsole material model suitable for two types of jogging people, namely, flat feet and heels.

They also focused on shoe sole materials, Nervous System said, because the three-dimensional foam structure made of DuraForm Flex TPU elastomer powder has the characteristics of "relatively low density, high porosity, and lightweight and firm shoes", so it is the best version of all the different structural prototypes.

Finally, using 3D to print midsole products is to optimize the running experience of all types of athletes.

Sean Murphy, senior manager of New Balance innovation and engineering, said, "...

We have invited runners and biomechanics experts to work together with leaders of plastics engineering, materials development and derivative design industry to promote future shoe design and production.

The 3D sneakers will be launched in Boston in April 2016 and then extended to stores around the world.

The company also said it would launch a customized version in 2017.

Nike, which has a 62% share in the sports market, is certainly unwilling to fall behind people. When Nike's COO Eric Sprunk participated in the GeekWire Summit Forum, it openly predicted a brand new distribution and production method: customers can make their own sports shoes in the printing center at home or in the vicinity, according to the design plan provided by Nike, and use 3D printing technology.

This pattern is not much different from the existing one.

At present, in the production of the Flyknit series, Nike sends the design documents to the factories in Asia, and the factory produces the finished shoes according to the drawings.

With the promotion of 3D printing materials and technologies, 3D printers will replace factory locations in this process.

This will also bring an additional advantage: individuals can customize their shoes according to their own standards, rather than choosing a size most close to their size according to the existing shoe number system.

The future described by Sprunk is that consumers choose a standard design through a website based Nike design studio, then modify their colors and sizes, or design a pair of shoes from scratch.

After the design is completed and the payment is made, the customer will get a one-time 3D printing drawing.

It only takes a few minutes for the customer to get a pair of brand new Nike sneakers.

However, there are still some obstacles between ideal and reality.

For example, 3D printing materials need to be upgraded one or two times.

For Nike, it is more important to find a new business mode to protect the company's intellectual property rights and prevent people from printing several times after purchasing drawings.

Once these problems are solved, Nike or other sports shoes brands have every reason to print sneakers at home.

Although Sprunk said he is confident that this new model is near, Nike officials remain silent.

When can we plan to come true, or whether they are investing or researching to speed up their realization?

The Futurecraft 3D new concept running shoes of Adidas, a German sports equipment giant, can customize the middle sole of 3D printed shoes according to individual needs and make them on the spot.

Through this new technology, Adidas hopes to achieve a new mode: consumers enter the store, run on the treadmill for a while, and when they shop, they can have a pair of 3D print customized running shoes.

This 3D concept is one of Adidas's "Futurecraft series" activities. In the next 6 months, Futurecraft will release more innovative design.

This new product, which is built in collaboration with the Belgian 3D printing service provider Materialise, has a precise groove, external contour, perfectly matched with the feet, and even accurate to every pressure point. It provides personalized support and cushioning system for every wearer and improves athletic performance.

Due to the existing data collection and plantar pressure distribution test technology, consumers can make shop in the future.

Eric Liedtke, executive director of Adidas and global brand director, said: "Futurecraft 3D is just a prototype and an explanation of intentions. We combine technology and materials in a completely new way.

Such 3D printing medium materials can not only make good running shoes, but also promote real customization experience with performance parameters to meet the needs of any sports people.

Adidas creative director Paul Gaudio: "Futurecraft is our sandbox, about how we challenge ourselves every day and explore the limits of technology.

Push forward production and material innovation and further progress.

By combining the manual quality with the unlimited potential of new production technology, Futurecraft has come back to our design method: fast, raw material and real.