Imagine a world where if you wanted to go jogging, you could 3D print a pair of jogging shoes. Or if you wanted to go hiking, you could 3D print a pair of hiking boots. Imagine such a service that could be offered at hotels and resorts where guests will no longer have to worry about what kind of shoes to pack.
That seems to be a future that Adidas is envisioning, where users will be able to 3D print the right shoe for the right moment. This future is dubbed Futurecraft 3D and it exists more as a proof of concept for now as opposed to being an actual thing. However given the kind of things we’ve seen 3D printers can do, we wouldn’t be surprised if such a service would be offered in the future.
So what is Futurecraft 3D? According to Eric Leidtke of Adidas, “Futurecraft 3D is a prototype and a statement of intent. We have used a one-of-its-kind combination of process and material in an entirely new way.” Basically it’s custom-made shoes aimed more towards athletes, who for example can 3D print new shoes to help improve their performance.
Maybe the athlete needs a pair of shoes that is a tighter fit, or maybe one that supports more cushioning for the heel, and so on. It’s definitely an exciting possibility although we can only imagine that wouldn’t shoe makers lose money if everyone started printing their own shoes instead of buying them?
Filed in . Read more about 3D Printing, Adidas and Sports.