Additionally, Nike has announced the next application for its additive manufacturing will be shoes for the NFL 11. With its product capabilities in place, the focus will be on scaling the production while reducing costs to a level that consumers will find acceptable. In the medium-term, Nike will be looking for ways to bringing customized 3D printed shoes to customers beyond elite athletes. The company will also roll out its 3D printed shoes to more athletes to optimize the shoes’ performance. Nike is likely focusing on finding a way to attach the shoe’s upper to the midsole strobel, another labor-intensive process they admitted to currently be beyond the scope of their patent 4. In the short term, Nike has stated to continue focusing on footwear for distance runners 7. For example, after Kichoge’s race, Nike gathered detailed feedback, and has since altered the composition of the 3D printed upper material to absorb less water 9. Rather, the company has strong processes in place to continue improving the performance of the shoes. The outcomes of these initial “real-world” testing of the 3D printed shoes do not seem to demotivate Nike. Although Kichoge came in first place, he did not break his record 10. A year later, runner Eliud Kipchoge attempted to break his own world record for the fastest marathon ever wearing Nike Zoom Vaporfly Elites running shoes – the first shoe with a 3D printed “upper” 9. At the Olympics of that year, Felix won two golden medals – one less than at her previous Olympics 8. In 2016, Nike produced a 3D printed track shoe for sprinter Allyson Felix 2. In 2016 the company announced its first more revolutionary product innovation,introducing customized 3D printed shoes for top atheletes 2. Pathways to Just Digital Future Watch this tech inequality series featuring scholars, practitioners, & activists By 2018, Nike stated its 3D printed prototyping process is 16 times quicker than “any previous manufacturing method 7”. Most notably, in 2012 the company has filed a patent for “automated strobel printing”, a process that was previously highly labor-intensive 4. Nike has been filing patents for several additive manufacturing techniques improving its production processes. With current regular updates on its latest solutions, the future may be just around the corner – if not already here. Traditional competitors in the footwear space like Adidas and New Balance are doubling down on their additive manufacturing capabilities 5, and new competition is arriving from crowdfunded 3D printed shoe manufacturers like Wiivv and OLT Footcare 6. In response, Nike has partnered with multinational information technology company HP to accelerate its additive manufacturing innovation processes 2. Shoes’ performance can be enhanced through – among others – lighter, more breathable components, fewer frictional resistance between yarns and the enablement of data-driven customization 2.īut Nike is not alone. In this space, additive manufacturing can improve Nike’s production processes, for example through further eliminating costly labor and faster prototyping increasing its speed to market 4. Thus far, the main application of additive manufacturing has been in footwear. The company views additive manufacturing as a key strategic lever to achieve its goal of “scaling technology to deliver greater performance innovation faster” and “explore new ways to manufacture performance products to help athletes reach their full potential” 2. “One day, consumers will be able to buy a shoe design file from Nike and 3D print the shoe themselves”– Erick Sprunk, Nike COO 1Īs clearly recognized by Nike, the American sportswear giant, 3D printing (or additive manufacturing) is the future, both to optimize its production process and to continue to produce the most innovative sports apparel available.
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