"The future of performance footwear" is what adidas are calling their new Futurecraft 3D technology. Having created a unique 3D-printed running shoe which can be tailored to any individual's foot surely it's only a matter of time until we're stood here wearing 3D printed football boots?
The 3D concept is part of the 'Futurecraft Series' which in adidas' own words is "a forward-looking initiative that places open source collaboration and craftsmanship at the heart of design to drive innovation across all elements of production." The whole concept essentially takes personalised footwear to the next level allowing shoes to be created individually to the exact specifications of any athlete's foot.
It's still early days but the idea is that athletes will be able to walk into an adidas store, run for a few minutes on a treadmill and instantly getting a 3D-printed running shoe. A shoe that would be a carbon copy of the athlete's own footprint, matching exact contours and pressure points. That ladies and gentlemen is impressive. Where do we sign up?
Futurecraft 3D is possible through an open source partnership with Materialise, a pioneer and leading specialist in 3D printing. The Futurecraft initiative will announce more groundbreaking design innovations in the coming six months. Exciting stuff. Could we see the first pair of 3D printed football boots? Stranger things have happened.
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