3d printed sports shoes are more about your wallet than your feet
by：Glory Footwear
2020-04-29
3D printed footwear products are coming to market soon.
Adidas, Nike and Armour are some of the big names that have been working to provide custom shoes to customers.
From the sound of their marketing, you may think that the custom shoes are only one step away from you.
But if you look closely at the products provided, you will find that the value of 3D printing is more marketing for the brand itself than for consumers.
According to Eric Sprunk, Nike\'s chief operating office, customers will one day be able to 3D print their shoes at home-they just need to buy and download the specs they want from an online store.
More realistically, this will happen in retail stores.
But anyway,to-
Orders, perfect fit shoes still have a long way to go.
There will still be factories during this period.
For example, Adidas is setting up a \"AliExpress factory\" in Ansbach, Germany, using 3D printing and robotics technology to shorten the delivery time of customized footwear to a week of online orders.
Adidas has produced the new future craft 4D shoes here, which promise to be shaped according to personal data.
But so far, it\'s just a promise.
In the future, there is only a very limited style-it is still based on the standard size so far.
Custom elements are possible, but only in terms of the level of cushioning on the sole.
SpeedIt has been around for a while since the shoes were made to suit the owner.
The mass market means that most people buy shoes based on standard sizes and styles.
Sneakers are mainly made in China or Vietnam and sold all over the world, then stacked in retail stores waiting to be purchased.
From a business point of view, retailers must make the best guess about the goods to be sold (and what won’t)
And the number of stocks purchased.
Brands tend to place orders with manufacturers 12 to 18 months in advance.
In order to attract demand for new styles, a large number of advertisements are required, although many pairs must be replaced at a discount.
Therefore, for retailers, the ability to get customers\' shoes ordered quickly is very attractive.
Many brands do allow customers to order pairs online with a limited number of customizations.
Look at your sneakers.
They consist of an outer sole, an inner sole, and an upper-consisting of two or three pieces of sowing and laces together. Adidas (via mi-Adidas)and Nike (via NikeiD)
You have been allowed to select each of these components from a limited color menu using standard sizes and styles. The company (
Or its contract manufacturer)
I will then collect and assemble these parts, stitch or glue them, and deliver a custom pair in four to five weeks-all at high prices.
In addition, returns are not allowed, which eliminates a big problem for manufacturers to sell online.
In addition, shoes are made using 3D printing and robotics
The country means they can deliver goods faster. Value for whom?
When you break down what consumers get from 3D printed sneakers, their value is not particularly high compared to off-shelf purchases.
Even with Adidas\'s future craft 4D, you can still choose the standard style.
Like everyone else, you are still limited by the standard size.
The leather cannot be printed in 3D and can only be woven by the machine, which also eliminates the custom elements.
Only the sole is left.
Thanks to our new technology.
Carbon-based companies, these can be mass-produced relatively quickly using 3D printers.
A video of Adidas future 4D footwear shows that the top is made of knitted fabric, cut with a robot, and then assembled and stitched by hand (in high labour-cost Germany).
Obviously, brands can provide a large part of high value.
This will be an incredible exclusive technical shoe when they are first pushed to the market.
The sole is 3D printed, but there is still a long way to go to provide a custom level related to this technology.
All in all, in addition to making a choice in the color scheme already provided by these companies, consumers do not get much value, but shorten the delivery time.
While consumers won\'t get much value, brands will.
This is because 3D printing allows them to claim high
Technical \"sole, and\" excellent performance \".
It brings the brand the aura of chess.
Playing computer Deep Blue brings IBM-Deep Blue is also used for marketing to a large extent, and the company retired once it defeated world champion Gary Kasparov.
Brands can also gain marketing value by understanding early consumer preferences.
They can use this information to inform their own orders in advance to their Asian manufacturers to meet the needs of the mass market, with limited edition high-tech offering.
For now, at least, 3D printing in the sports shoe industry is aimed at the wallets of consumers, not their feet.
The article was originally published in the dialogue.
Read the original text.
ManMohan S Sodhi does not work, consult, own shares or obtain funds for any company or organization that benefits from this article, and does not disclose any relevant links other than academic appointments.
Adidas, Nike and Armour are some of the big names that have been working to provide custom shoes to customers.
From the sound of their marketing, you may think that the custom shoes are only one step away from you.
But if you look closely at the products provided, you will find that the value of 3D printing is more marketing for the brand itself than for consumers.
According to Eric Sprunk, Nike\'s chief operating office, customers will one day be able to 3D print their shoes at home-they just need to buy and download the specs they want from an online store.
More realistically, this will happen in retail stores.
But anyway,to-
Orders, perfect fit shoes still have a long way to go.
There will still be factories during this period.
For example, Adidas is setting up a \"AliExpress factory\" in Ansbach, Germany, using 3D printing and robotics technology to shorten the delivery time of customized footwear to a week of online orders.
Adidas has produced the new future craft 4D shoes here, which promise to be shaped according to personal data.
But so far, it\'s just a promise.
In the future, there is only a very limited style-it is still based on the standard size so far.
Custom elements are possible, but only in terms of the level of cushioning on the sole.
SpeedIt has been around for a while since the shoes were made to suit the owner.
The mass market means that most people buy shoes based on standard sizes and styles.
Sneakers are mainly made in China or Vietnam and sold all over the world, then stacked in retail stores waiting to be purchased.
From a business point of view, retailers must make the best guess about the goods to be sold (and what won’t)
And the number of stocks purchased.
Brands tend to place orders with manufacturers 12 to 18 months in advance.
In order to attract demand for new styles, a large number of advertisements are required, although many pairs must be replaced at a discount.
Therefore, for retailers, the ability to get customers\' shoes ordered quickly is very attractive.
Many brands do allow customers to order pairs online with a limited number of customizations.
Look at your sneakers.
They consist of an outer sole, an inner sole, and an upper-consisting of two or three pieces of sowing and laces together. Adidas (via mi-Adidas)and Nike (via NikeiD)
You have been allowed to select each of these components from a limited color menu using standard sizes and styles. The company (
Or its contract manufacturer)
I will then collect and assemble these parts, stitch or glue them, and deliver a custom pair in four to five weeks-all at high prices.
In addition, returns are not allowed, which eliminates a big problem for manufacturers to sell online.
In addition, shoes are made using 3D printing and robotics
The country means they can deliver goods faster. Value for whom?
When you break down what consumers get from 3D printed sneakers, their value is not particularly high compared to off-shelf purchases.
Even with Adidas\'s future craft 4D, you can still choose the standard style.
Like everyone else, you are still limited by the standard size.
The leather cannot be printed in 3D and can only be woven by the machine, which also eliminates the custom elements.
Only the sole is left.
Thanks to our new technology.
Carbon-based companies, these can be mass-produced relatively quickly using 3D printers.
A video of Adidas future 4D footwear shows that the top is made of knitted fabric, cut with a robot, and then assembled and stitched by hand (in high labour-cost Germany).
Obviously, brands can provide a large part of high value.
This will be an incredible exclusive technical shoe when they are first pushed to the market.
The sole is 3D printed, but there is still a long way to go to provide a custom level related to this technology.
All in all, in addition to making a choice in the color scheme already provided by these companies, consumers do not get much value, but shorten the delivery time.
While consumers won\'t get much value, brands will.
This is because 3D printing allows them to claim high
Technical \"sole, and\" excellent performance \".
It brings the brand the aura of chess.
Playing computer Deep Blue brings IBM-Deep Blue is also used for marketing to a large extent, and the company retired once it defeated world champion Gary Kasparov.
Brands can also gain marketing value by understanding early consumer preferences.
They can use this information to inform their own orders in advance to their Asian manufacturers to meet the needs of the mass market, with limited edition high-tech offering.
For now, at least, 3D printing in the sports shoe industry is aimed at the wallets of consumers, not their feet.
The article was originally published in the dialogue.
Read the original text.
ManMohan S Sodhi does not work, consult, own shares or obtain funds for any company or organization that benefits from this article, and does not disclose any relevant links other than academic appointments.
