Runners know how important it is to go to a proper retail store that can fit you for the ideal running shoe that is tailored for your specific foot size, width, support needs, pronation and footstrike. However, customers may soon be able to head on over to their local Adidas location to get their hands on the perfect-fit running shoe that is designed to mimic your footprint.
Adidas revealed its concept design for what they believe is the future of performance footwear, a running shoe that has a 3D-printed midsole that is customized to provide the right amount of cushioning for the individual customer's foot as part of its new project, called Futurecraft 3D.
Customers would go to Adidas to have their feet scanned to obtain a 3D model of their feet. The customer would also be asked to run on a treadmill to track performance data such as the athlete's stride to determine the support needed. The data would then be used to create a 3D-printed midsole that is tailored specifically for that particular runner, which could then be included in any Adidas sneaker.
As of now, the Adidas Futurecraft 3D midsole is just a concept, still in the early prototype stage.
"It'd be easy to make a 3D-printed product for a lifestyle shoe, but it's hard to make a 3D-printed product for performance," Adidas' Eric Liedtke said. "We started with a running silhouette, because what we like is that it really reduces weight compared to a traditional midsole."
While Adidas still has some work to do before the tech is ready to be used in stores, the popular sports shoe and clothing company is looking for inspiration outside the industry. It has hopes to team up with companies like Google and Pixar to collaborate and bring this product to life.
The Futurecraft 3D midsoles are only expected to be a limited product, with hopes to hit Adidas stores in the summer of 2016.
Via: Fast Company
