Earlier this week Adidas unveiled Futurecraft 3D, a 3-D-printed midsole—the layer of material between a shoe’s inner and outer soles, used for absorbing shock—which can be tailored to the cushioning needs of an individual consumer. It is just one of a string of recent innovative designs from the German-based brand, including a line footwear made primarily of recycled plastic gathered from the ocean. “Futurecraft 3D is our sandbox,” says Paul Gaudio, creative director at Adidas. “Our ambition was to marry the qualities of handcrafting and prototyping with the limitless potential of new manufacturing technologies.”
For now the Futurecraft 3D is only a prototype, but Adidas hopes that it represents the first step toward being able to have customers walk into its store, run briefly on a treadmill for a foot scan, have an instant 3-D model of their midsole created, and then leave with running shoes that perfectly fit the unique contours of and pressure points on their feet.
