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Shoes

Nike HP 3D Printed Sneakers Jet Fusion
Business, Manufacturing, Shoes, Sports

Nike Partners With HP For 3D Printing Technology

Nike HP 3D Printed Sneakers Jet Fusion

When you think of HP the first thing that comes to mind is probably computers or inkjet printers (or those terrible TouchPad ads). Moving forward, HP would like for you to add 3D printing to that list. The company has announced two new commercial printers which they believe will be game changers for both prototyping and manufacturing. We don’t normally cover industrial products, but the tech behind HP’s new Jet Fusion 3D printers is a significant step forward and could very well pave the path to an on-demand, 3D printed manufacturing economy. In fact, the technology is so game changing, Nike is partnering with HP to use the printers for future products.  

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New Balance Zante Generate 3D Printed Running Shoe Midsole Sale
Shoes, Sports

New Balance 3D Printed Sneakers Go On Sale 9am April 15th

New Balance Zante Generate 3D Printed Running Shoe Midsole Sale

Last year we were very excited about New Balance’s announcement that they would bring to retail a running shoe featuring a 3D printed midsole. The running footwear is designed for heal strikers, with a design formula similar to the company’s Fresh Foam line of sneakers. After almost 5 months, the company has finally announced the details of the launch. The sneakers will go on sale April 15th at 9am for $400. The original plan was to launch the limited edition sneaker both online and in the company’s Boston flagship store, with other select stores offering the footwear later in the year. It seems that the company’s launch plans might have tempered a bit since November though. New Balance is now only planning to sell 44 pairs of the shoes starting April 15th and there is no mention of it reaching further retail outlets at a later point. To give you an idea of how constrained supply is, if they offer the shoes in size 7 through 12, this would mean only 4 pairs of sneakers in each size. We were hoping for a bigger role-out of the 3D printed running shoes and wonder if it is an indiction of production woes with the technology.  

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Under Armour Architech 3D Printed Midsole Sneakers
Manufacturing, Shoes, Sports

Under Armour Releases Limited Edition 3D Printed Sneaker

Under Armour Launches Architech 3D Printed Midsole Sneakers

When Adidas showed off a prototype 3D printed shoe last year we were very excited to see such a giant leap forward in 3D printing, manufacturing, and sneaker design. What we didn’t realize was that within months there would be a slew of other shoe manufacturers jumping into the 3D printing “ring.” We have seen a second 3D printed sneaker from Adidas, have release plans from New Balance for a pair of kicks with printed midsoles, and even witnessed a successful Kickstarter for a fully 3D knitted shoe. Now we can add one more company to the list. Under Armour just announced a sneaker with a 3D printed midsole. The shoe, called UA Architech go on sale today for $300 through the company’s website and at their company store in Baltimore. The catch…Under Armour only produced 96 pairs. Like other sneakers with 3D printed midsoles, the design is based on a lattice structure. To ensure the pattern of their lattice design achieved the best possible balance of support, cushioning, flexibility, and energy return, the Under Armour used Autodesk’s Within software. Within takes a set of goal perimeters and then automatically generates the optimal 3D printing design. The result is a shoe which Under Armour claims has the “ultimate stability and cushioning.”  

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HyperAdapt 1 nike self lacing tying sneaker
Shoes, Wearable Technology

Nike Announces First Mass Produced Self Lacing Sneaker

HyperAdapt 1.0 nike self lacing tying sneaker Nike+

There was a lot of excitement last October when Nike unveiled that it was actually going to release the self-tying Nike Mag from Back To The Future 2. Unfortunately the sneakers, which launch next month, will be very limited in quantity and only available via auction (which translates to prices possibly north of $10,000). That means the dream of “futuristic” self-lacing shoes is still only a dream for most of us…that is until last night when Nike announced the HyperAdapt 1.0. The HyperAdapt 1.0 will be the first mass produced self-tying sneaker. When you slide the shoe on and press your heel down, the laces engage and automatically tighten around your foot. Small buttons on the side of the shoe allow you to make micro adjustments to the tightness, either loosening or tightening the laces as needed. If your feet swell when you run, no need to stop, re-adjust, and re-tie your shoes, just tap the loosen button. Eventually Nike envisions shoes that will automatically sense when they need to adjust their fit and make the necessary tweaks. If you liked the bling from the Nike Mags, you can rest soundly because the new HyperAdapt also has LED lights. The HyperAdapt 1.0 is expected to launch in time for the holidays and we are guessing it will be on a lot of wish lists (we cannot wait to get our hands on a pair)! Pricing has not be announced, but no matter what it will cost less than a pair of Mags would set you back. When the shoes launch, they will be available exclusively through the Nike+ app. Speaking of which, the app is about to receive a shopping oriented makeover in the coming months [the Nike+ running app needs lots of updates but shopping was not one of them, just restore our map data you lost last summer and fall Nike!].  

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JS Shoes 3D knitted printed kickstarter
Manufacturing, Shoes

World’s First Entirely 3D Knitted Shoes Launch On Kickstarter

JS Shoes 3D knitted printed kickstarter

While most of us understand the concept of 3D printing, you might be a little less familiar with 3d knitting. The ingenious technology allows you to three dimensionally create fabric items in a specialized loom. This means that an entire garment can be created at once with zero waste; it emerges from the loom as a complete garment. Not only is this amazing for the environment, it also results in more comfortable clothing, since they are seamless. From a designer’s perspective, 3D knitting means clothing can be prototyped in a fraction of the time (and cost) versus the tradition cut and sew approach. The technology isn’t new (it emerged in the 1990’s) but it is finally gaining traction thanks to reduced costs and advances in tech. In fact, one of the very first stories we covered was an open source 3D knitting machine called Open Knit.  

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Adidas Parley For The Oceans 3D Printed Sneaker Ocean Plastic Gillnet
Environment, Shoes

3D Printed Adidas Sneaker Made From Even More Ocean Trash

Adidas Parley For The Oceans 3D Printed Sneaker Ocean Plastic Gillnet

While there have been some amazing advancements with technology and sneakers this year, we think that Adidas’ partnership with Parley For The Oceans is one of the most exciting! Earlier this year the companies unveiled the Adidas x Parley sneaker in front of the U.N. General Assembly. The entire upper of the sneaker was constructed of recycled ocean plastic and seized deep-sea gillnets (if you haven’t read the story of how Parley obtained the 45 miles of gillnet for the prototype, it is incredible). While the sneaker shown was only a prototype, Adidas announced that they were working with Parley to make the Adidas x Parley a consumer product. The idea was great, with every sneaker purchased you helped the oceans to be cleaner.

But Adidas and Parley For The Oceans clearly thought they could do better. The two companies used the COP21 conference to unveiled the next step in their eco-friendly sneakers. The new sneakers continue to feature an upper constructed from recycled ocean plastic but have added a new midsole. Adidas and Parley designed a 3D printed midsole that consists of recycled polyester and gillnets. The result is a sneaker that is almost entirely made from ocean waste. While there is no timeline to bring the sneakers to market, Adidas and Parley continue to state that is the ultimate plan.  

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ShiftWear Classic Indiegogo custom e-paper sneaker
Shoes

ShiftWear Sneakers Use E-Paper For Changeable Designs

ShiftWear Classic Indiegogo custom e-paper sneaker

Ever wish you could customize the look of your shoes whenever you wanted? ShiftWear’s Classic promises just that. The high tech sneakers feature a wrap around, flexible e-paper screen. Using a mobile app you can create and share static and animated designs and then load them onto your shoes. The concept is pretty exciting and reminds us a lot of the Sony FES Watch and Shift Sneakers. If customizing your kicks on the go sounds appealing, ShiftWear is currently offering the footwear through an Indiegogo campaign. The low-tops require a $150 pledge, the mid-tops $250, and the high-tops $350. ShiftWear believes they will have a shipping product in Fall of 2016.  

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