Boston runners will be able to buy the first mass-market 3-D printed shoes.
Boston-based New Balance has announced that it will begin selling shoes with 3D-printed midsoles by April 2015, rolling out the shoes at select Boston stores. The move comes after years of research and trial runs involving elite athletes. The midsole is a crucial element in running shoes, providing the cushioning and support for the foot while in motion.
The New Balance blog explains why the 3D technology is so beneficial to the crafting of a new shoe: “With 3D printing, you can optimize structures to put as much or as little precisely where you want it. This means new and organic geometries are possible though the bottom-up process of building layer-by-layer. Taking advantage of these benefits, New Balance has achieved an anatomical breakthrough in the full range of desired midsole characteristics, from flexibility and strength, to weight and durability.”
The 3D technology allows New Balance to create a number of different ‘fits’ that can be customized to a particular runner. By determining which parts of the foot take the most impact during movement, they can tailor the cushioning to a particular runner’s body, as Tech Crunch explained.
Katherine Petrecca, New Balance’s general manager of studio innovation, told Beta Boston that the company can now bring these shoes to market because of the development of a specialized elastomeric powder that is melded into a solid by a laser and delivers the same level of comfort and performance as a standard, molded midsole. While the shoes will cost more than a conventional pair, the company believes that running and fitness-tech junkies may be willing to pay that premium, Petrecca said.
New Balance began making and testing 3D midsoles in 2012, with significant advancements recently via a collaboration with 3D Systems and its SLS material, DuraForm®Flex TPU. “Leveraging this new elastomeric powder and working in close collaboration with our team of material scientists, New Balance’s running experts and biomechanical engineers have developed a shoe that truly leaves others in the dust,” asserts the blog post.
Initially, not every shoe will be unique. New Balance is using one standard, honeycomb-like 3D printing template for now, Petrecca said, the shoes will be sold off-the-shelf. Individualized shoes are still a ways off.
“We expect to be able to bring that in a trial way to consumers in 2017,” she said.
