Under Armour Debuts Futurist Shoes with 3D-Printed Midsoles … – ENGINEERING.com

At last years AMUG, athletic wear manufacturer Under Armour won the Advanced Concepts Technical Competition with the UA Architech, a line of shoes that featured a 3D-printed midsole. This year, Director of Design & Manufacturing Innovation at Under Armour Alan Guyan gave the crowd a sneak peek at the companys next design in the series, the Futurist.

The UA Futurist is Under Armours most recent shoe design featuring 3D-printed midsoles. (Image courtesy of Under Armour.)

Guyan explained at AMUG that the concept behind the Futurist is that it combines the past, present and future of the company. The idea is that our company is a little under pressure, Guyan said. Youll see this wrap on top of the shoe and on the inside of the shoe youll see a seamless heel cut out. Thats kind of our present. We actually mold the bottom of the shoe. And, of course, our future is 3D printing.

The 3D-printed TPU heel is meant to provide support and spring. (Image courtesy of Under Armour.)

At $300, the shoe series is Under Armours most expensive to date, but it also represents the companys largest batch of shoes with 3D-printed parts to date. With each shoe series, Under Armour has quadrupled production, starting with 96 pairs for the original Architech, followed by 410 for the next 3D-printed shoe series. The company will manufacture the Futurist in a batch of a little over 2,000 pairs, with sales beginning March 30 and with other sales occurring throughout the year, according to Guyan.

To sign up to be notified when the Futurist shoes go on sale, visit the product page.

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Under Armour Debuts Futurist Shoes with 3D-Printed Midsoles ... - ENGINEERING.com