German footwear giant adidas is continuing to extend its line of Futurecraft 4D shoes utilizing Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) 3D printing technology from the Silicon-Valley based Carbon.
adidas’ new release, the Y-3 RUNNER 4D II, is a collaboration with Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto, as part of their joint Y-3 fashion label, and represents an updated version of previous Y-3 shoes featuring Futurecraft 4D technology, this time arriving in a “Bone/White” colorway.
Following in the footsteps of previous Futurecraft 4D shoes, the Y-3 RUNNER 4D II comes with a 3D printed midsole developed with Carbon’s Continuous Liquid Interface Production (CLIP) enabled DLS technology. However, the new shoe also builds upon the existing Futurecraft 4D formula, in order to improve the performance of the shoe. The Futurecraft 4D midsoles have also been nominated by our readers for Consumer Product of the year in the 2019 3D Printing Industry Awards. You can view the other nominations and categories, as well as cast your votes, here.
As with past Y-3 RUNNER 4D shoes, the expected retail price of the “Bone/White” iteration is around $600 USD, with a release date of May 2, 2019.
Upgrading the 3D printed midsole
With the Y-3 RUNNER 4D II, adidas has upgraded the properties of its Futurecraft 4D midsole present on its ALPHAEDGE 4D shoe, which originally released back in May 2018. Utilizing 3D printing, Futurecraft 4D already provides improved controlled energy return from the midsole when running thanks to its lattice structures produced with Carbon’s DLS technology.
The Y-3 RUNNER 4D II’s midsoles have been tweaked to be thicker and higher, with the trainer featuring a wider foot bed as well. This provides improved multi-directional stability, as well as a higher energy return in specific areas of the midsole compared to previous iterations of the Futurecraft 4D shoes, enabling improved running performance.
Another key feature of the Y-3 RUNNER 4D II 3D printed midsole is its bone-white colour. As with the Stella McCartney x adidas AlphaEdge 4D model, Y-3 has ditched the usual ‘Aero Green’ hue of the previous shoes in the Futurecraft 4D line, in favor of a more complimentary white finish. Furthermore, the rubber outsole of the shoe is part of a collaboration between adidas and German automotive manufacturing company Continental, in order to provide improved grip and traction.
Y-3 moving forward with Futurecraft 4D
The first trainer under the Y-3 brand to feature Futurecraft 4D midsoles was initially announced in June 2017, and released as part of the Spring/Summer collection 2018 in white. Since then, as well as producing many other trainers with the Futurecraft 4D midsole, adidas has also released the the Y-3 RUNNER 4D II in various colorways, with the latest edition coming in a bright red in January 2019.
The Y-3 RUNNER 4D II advances forward from the previous editions. As well as improving the Futurecraft 4D midsole, Y-3 has also updated the design, in order to provide “a confident new expression of the ADIDAS 4D vision.” The upper and lower layers of the shoe are connected together by an “ultra-strength” high tensile cording, defining the interconnected aesthetic design of the shoe, while also providing its lacing system.
adidas and Carbon’s Futurecraft 4D midsoles have been nominated for the third annual 3D Printing Industry Awards. View the other nominations and categories and help decide this year’s winners now.
Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter for the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also keep connected by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit 3D Printing Jobs for a selection of roles in the industry.
Featured image shows the Y3 RUNNER 4D II. Image via Y-3/adidas
