Why Does Adidas Need To Manufacture Customized Shoes Quickly?

Besides the best sportsmen, buying sports shoes can be hit or missed: go to stores, find what you like, and wear them.

If it doesn't feel good, it's too bad.

Another shoe.

Adidas believes that future motion capture technology, data analysis software, and 3D printing together create a pair of kicks that fit your exact needs in stores.

One foot is a little smaller than the other. No problem! Do you have an overdose? Don't worry about it. The technology will provide perfect shoes.

All big shoe companies are working towards this goal.

Adidas provides a glimpse of how it takes place when it brings its pop-up fast lab experience to Broolyn in New York.

Pop up and copy some work.

Adidas ADDDF is an automatic speed measurement laboratory in Atlanta and Ansbacher, Germany.

R & D center is a testing ground for Adidas to quickly and efficiently produce the most suitable technology and skills for shoes.

I visited the experience of SpeedFactory laboratory, first of all, designers scan my feet to determine their exact length, width and location.

When I was running on a treadmill, the camera recorded my gait, speed and gait.

All these data appear on the two screens in front of me.

I found my left foot slightly longer and wider than my right foot. I am a "neutral runner" by physiologists.

This means that my feet roll slightly inside the ground after they touch the ground and help me evenly absorb my weight while helping to absorb the impact.

Knowing these things is very important for choosing the right running shoes.

But Adidas wants to go further and use this information to create the perfect shoes in almost no time.

Broolyn's pop-up lab experience in New York

Adidas can't do that yet, but it has arrived.

Zachary Conrad, senior designer of Adidas futures team, said Zachary Coonro's fast factory laboratory is becoming faster and faster.

"We are three times as fast as we used to push products from originality to market," he said.

SucharitaKodali, a retail analyst at Forrester Research, said, "yes, but it's not good enough."

"The demand for fast shoes is great, but what Adidas can actually do is create several items quickly," she said.

"This is not impressive.

If they can create any customized items quickly, it will be a game changer, but this is not what they do.

Related: Adidas is still beating Nike and armor in the United States.

The assembly line of one of Adidas's express delivery factories.

SpeedFactory uses 3D printing, automated manufacturing and other technologies to produce limited edition shoes.

So far, this means developing sneakers that meet the needs of runners in specific areas.

The project began in 2016, when only one shoe was prepared for Germany.

The company designed AM4 (Adidas made) products for runners in London, Paris and New York.

Running shoes are being produced in Tokyo and Shanghai.

You may wonder why runners in different cities need different shoes.

Adidas found that runners of big apple tend to make sharp turns faster than Londoners.

Fine adjustment on top shoe top on AM4NYC helps to improve stability and agility in this case.

In order to further customize shoes, Adidas is working with Carbon, a Silicon Valley start-up, to customize the mid floor shoes, which can be said to be the most important part of this shoe.

Carbon uses a three-dimensional manufacturing process called "digital photo synthesis" to make hard elastomers in the middle, and its performance can exceed some of the best foam and gel.

Finally, Adidas plans to incorporate carbon manufacturing technology into the fast plant to expand production and provide more personalized products.

Related: Titan's clash: Adidas and Nike continue to fight.

Pull out a 4D middle sole from the barrel of liquid resin.

As early as 2015, Adidas released the first carbon insole product - "future 4D".

A pair of limited shoes - $300 per pair - sold out immediately.

The company plans to issue more than 100 thousand pairs by the end of this year.

This is a lot of shoes, but it's nothing compared with last year's 400 million pairs of shoes.

Considering this size, you can see why Adidas wants to produce customized shoes quickly.

The pursuit of this goal is not just one person.

Brooks has worked with HP to create FitStation, using 3D printing to make insole and polyurethane injection molding sole for customized shoes.

Nike (Enke) began testing its 3D printing material Flyprint in April.

This material enables Nike to customize the upper of shoes according to the foot shape, gait and needs of runners.

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But none of this is cheap.

Nike's ZoomVaporflieEliteFlyprint sells for $600, so far Nike has only issued a small part.

The company has not yet indicated whether it will make this shoe more widely available in the future.

This is a crucial issue, because cost and availability are still between you and a pair.

The biggest obstacle.

NPD senior industry analyst Matt Powell (Matt Powell) said: "the brand can now produce customized products, but shoes themselves are too expensive to be commercialized."

"Who is the first to make them is not important - it's important who is the first business."

So far, only the best athletes in the world enjoy this level of customization.

But if Adidas and its competitors can make technology work, one day, you may be wearing a pair of gloves.

Step out of a shop.