New Brooks 3D printed running shoe returns more energy from unique 3D lattice midsole

HP has used multi-jet fusion 3D printing technology, where a fusing agent is selectively applied to a bed of powdered polymer, followed by infrared heating to fuse the material. This process is repeated layer by layer to create the 3D model, and the excess powder removed for reuse. Brooks claims that HP’s 3D printing technology has allowed its design team to “fine-tune elements of the midsole right down to the millimetre in ways that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible”. The process also uses less material and creates less wastage during production.

While the design has performance advantages and a unique look, there are practical issues like gravel and dirt getting lodged in the open lattice, affecting performance and durability. That's something Brooks would have to address before launching it as a mainstream product.

For now, the Exhilarate-BL shoes will be released as part of a “test and learn” program to select Brooks Wear Testers and Brooks Run Club loyalty members with wearable devices synced to Brooks’ data collection platform. Accessing runner data like stride length, cadence, and other factors influenced by height and weight will allow it to further refine future iterations of 3DNA-equipped shoes.

You can track your own running and workout data using the Garmin Forerunner 265 with AMOLED display and built-in running dynamics data capture, or the newly updated Coros Pace 3 with dual-frequency GPS, both available on Amazon.