Adidas Launches Mass Production of 3D Sneakers New Adidas Futurecraft 4D sneakers made using 3D
07.04.2017 6694

Adidas Launches Mass Production of 3D Sneakers

Adidas has released a new model of sneakers with the sole printed on the Futurecraft 3D 4D printer, which is scheduled to go into mass production next year, Reuters reports. This step is part of the strategy of the German company, which seeks to respond more quickly to fashion changes and create more individual things.

Already now Adidas offers people to choose the color and model of shoes when ordering online, but 3D printing will allow you to go further - the company will be able to offer shoes, the sole of which will be designed taking into account the individual characteristics of the client's foot.

Rivals Nike, Under Armor, and New Balance have already experimented with 3D printing, but until now similar shoes have been produced in a limited edition. Since the use of traditional 3D printers in shoe manufacturing is more expensive, they work more slowly and often create a product that is inferior in quality to mass-produced products based on injection molds, which are used to produce hundreds of millions of pairs of shoes in Asian factories.

Meanwhile, Adidas says that a partnership with Carbon companies, a start-up from Silicon Valley, will overcome many difficulties and produce a sole that can compete with peers produced by injection molding in both quality and cost for launching mass production.

Carbon, funded by venture capital Sequoia Capital and funds created by General Electric and Google (Alphabeth), has pioneered the technology of printing using light-sensitive polymer resins.

Adidas expects to sell 5000 pairs of the new "Futurecraft 4D" this year, and increase production to 100 pairs a year next year, as Carbon is expected to be able to cut the printing time for one sole from the current one and a half hours by 000. 2018 minutes.

The price of shoes is still uncertain, it is assumed that it will gradually decline as technology develops.

Last year, Adidas sold several hundred pairs of sneakers with a sole printed on an 3D printer, at a price of 333 dollars per pair. But the sole was relatively stiff and heavy. At the same time, it took up to 10 hours to print it.

Adidas has released a new 3D printed "Futurecraft 4D" sneaker that is slated to go into mass production next year - ...
5
1
Rating

Latest News

The US and India have reached an agreement to reduce tariffs by up to 18%.

US President Donald Trump announced a trade agreement with India, under which tariffs on Indian goods will be reduced from 50% to 18%. Trump linked this move to India's halting purchases of Russian oil and a decline in trade…
06.02.2026 193

Sneakers have appeared in the Tamaris collection.

This Spring/Summer 26 season, the German brand Tamaris collection features the year's trendiest model: ultra-thin sneakers.
06.02.2026 198

Wales Bonner has released its own sneaker model based on its collaborations with Adidas.

The Wales Bonner collection now includes the Paris Trainer sneaker, essentially a continuation of British fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner's collaboration with Adidas. However, the silhouette and design of the sneakers are reminiscent of the six-year-old's hits…
06.02.2026 204

Zegna sales showed sharp growth in Q4 2025

Italian luxury menswear and footwear brand Zegna reports sales growth in Q4 2025. The Ermenegildo Zegna group, which includes the Zegna, Tom Brown, and Tom Ford Fashion brands, is expected to generate revenue in 2025…
05.02.2026 341

The number of clothing and shoe stores is declining

Shopping centers are seeing fewer clothing and shoe stores. By the end of 2025, the number of fashion retail outlets in Russian shopping centers had decreased by 10-15%. This follows from a survey conducted by the Union of Shopping Centers…
04.02.2026 485
When you sign up, you will receive weekly news and articles about the shoe business on your e-mail.

To the beginning