Adidas Plans To Mass-Produce Its First 3D-Printed Shoe

Adidas has revealed that it will be mass-producing its first 3D-printed shoe, dubbed the Futurecraft 4D. "The mid-sole of the shoe is created using a process known as Continuous Liquid Interface Production, in which the design is essentially pulled out of a vat of liquid polymer resin, and fixed into its desired shape using ultraviolet light," reports The Verge. Adidas is collaborating with Silicon Valley startup Carbon, which created the "Continuous Liquid Interface Production" method that will ultimately make mass-production 3D printing a reality. The Verge reports: [T]his is still new technology, and Adidas isn't leaping two-footed into the 3D-printed future just yet. Only 5,000 pairs of Futurecraft shoes will go on sale later this year, although the company says it aims to produce 100,000 pairs in total by the end of 2018. "This is a milestone not only for us as a company but also for the industry," Adidas' Gerd Manz told Reuters. "We've cracked some of the boundaries." The cost of a pair of Futurecraft 4Ds is not yet known, but Adidas says it will be in the "premium" price range.

No Pricing Information

[Crashmarik]

It seems what the products are going to cost is trade secret level information.
The same thing was the case for that robot that's delivering lunch in D.C.

Socks and Insoles

[SuperKendall]

The thing I find with running shoes is that the socks I choose to wear have an effect on how comfortable the shoe is... so I hope people going in for custom generation (and the printer generation code) is taking that into account.

For those who do not want to buy "a premium priced" shoe, lots of running stores these days do custom printed insoles you can put in any shoe. Those work really well for me, my shoes are way more comfortable with them... but again you need to select a shoe taking into the account the extra height of a somewhat larger insole in the shoe (I had to return a pair of hiking boots after I failed to do that and my feet were too cramped in the boot.

Not "traditional additive printing"

[TimSSG]

From the Article: "The Silicon Valley company that created the method, Carbon, say it’s faster and more adaptable than traditional additive printing, and can make mass-production 3D printing a reality." Now I understand why they said they were going to mass-produce it. It is NOT using "traditional additive printing"; Because from all that I have read "additive printing" is NOT viable for mass production. I wish I knew if this new method really is "additive printing" or something new that they are ma

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

The new method isn't really new, just a faster version of the oldest 3D printing method there is: sterolithography. Traditionally you zap some resin, raise it up, peeling it off the bottom of the resin tank, then zap it again. This method prevents the resin from sticking to the tank, allowing it to be raised and printed continuously.

Wot we need, or I want

[tailgunner_050]

Is, to have stuff like this that as it wears you just chuck it back in your home 3d printer for a quick patch up. Home maintance the 3d printer way. One day we'll have 3d printers and scanners in one for this exact purpose I says.