New Balance 3D Printed Shoes To Be Released In April 2016; Company Followed Adidas And Nike?
New Balance recently announced their first 3D printed running shoes.
The new 3D printing running shoes was made possible by New Balance collaboration with 3DSystems. The shoes' midsoles are made of DuraForm Flex TPU and elastomeric powder, according to Engadget.
The limited edition running shoes will be available in Boston and will start to roll out in April. New Balance plans to sell over 100 pairs of the 3D printed shoes in 2016 that aims to extend their business worldwide, reported by Fast Company.
"With 3D printing we are able to pursue performance customization at a whole new level," CEO Robert DeMartini said according to Newsy.
New Balance seems to follow Adidas who recently introduced their own 3D printed shoes prototype for their Futurecraft 3D project.
New Balance Senior Manager of Innovation and Engineering, Sean Murphy said, "This project represents an unprecedented technical collaboration in footwear", reported by Fortune.
"To deliver this level of performance with a 3D printed component, we paired experts in running and biomechanics with leaders in plastics engineering, material development and generative design. These are the types of collaborations that will drive footwear design and manufacturing in the future," the statement continued.
New Balance 3D printed shoes are developed from materials that will make it flexible and lightweight, which will be best suitable for athletes. As of the moment, the footwear is still under development since the midsole is 40 grams heavier than a normal foam made midsole.
New Balance's general manager for studio innovation, Katherine Petrecca said that, "In design, we have been erring on the side of durability and still have opportunity to optimize for weight," reported by Fast Company.
The 3D printed running shoes will make its official release in January 2016 at the Consumer Electronics Show and will start selling in April of the same year.
