Adidas’ new sports shoes, the Futurecraft 4D, are meant to be running shoes with an edge, they are manufactured using ‘digital light synthesis’, a printing process that uses a photosensitive resin that hardens as light hits it. The 3-D printing process uses a light projector that hits the midsole of the shoe in areas it is aimed at, allowing for a large degree of customization based on the needs of the user.
The sole is light and adaptable, meaning it can be tweaked for the type of sports it’s needed for. Adidas made 50 prototypes last year and plans to release 5,000 pairs this year and 100,000 in 2018.
Getting a pair won’t be easy – while 5,000 pairs will release in Fall/Winter, three hundred pairs will be released in this month, April. Considering the quantity and them being limited edition, the shoes will undoubtedly be expensive, even if Adidas has not revealed the price.
In the video currently on YouTube, Adidas goes through the process of creating the sole, which moulds and shapes and are pressure sensitive. The process looks laborious and intricate – using liquid and converting it into a durable and light material by synthesizing light and oxygen, with the sole having a sort of ‘bee-hive’ structure and a mesh consistency. Watch the video here to know about the new sports shoe:
