You instantly feel a noticeable bounce upon running thanks to its intricate, elastomeric midsole crafted with DLS. Slipping them on your feet makes this immediately clear. It’s no secret Adidas crafted these shoes for running. Onlookers easily spotted the midsole springing into action with every step - essentially, it looks like a shoe with a cool, elastic hydraulic system.
The Futurecraft 4D’s intricate midsole gives the shoe an abstract aesthetic people couldn’t help but ask about while we wore them around the city. The midsole is where both shoes derive their respective monikers. The black and green colorway is accentuated by the reflective shine of its 3D-printed midsole. Both shoes sport a slick mesh upper made with Adidas’ Primeknit technology, which gives it that handwoven aesthetic and feel. The Futurecraft 4D owes a lot of its look to its technological predecessor, last year’s Futurecraft 3D. To give them a true run for their money, we decided to lace them up and run through the streets of New York City to see how far into the future these kicks go. With the help of 17 years of running data and roughly 50 different prototypes, Adidas is ready to show the world what it’s cooked up.Īfter Adidas officially unveiled the Futurecraft 4D, Digital Trends got its hands on one of the 300 pairs the company doled out ahead of its upcoming fall release. DLS allowed Adidas to manipulate a host of small details, which let the legendary footwear company craft a running shoe wholly different than anything it’s ever manufactured. Adidas partnered with 3D printing upstart Carbon who pioneered the new method.
Now, Adidas is joining the high-tech fray with footwear that’s literally chiseled by light and oxygen, dubbed the Futurecraft 4D.įuturecraft 4D is the first piece of footwear made with an innovative manufacturing technique called Digital Light Synthesis (DLS). These days, shoes lace themselves at the press of a button, and some are even crafted out of liquid. Sneakers aren’t just rubber and fabric anymore, and a new type of swoosh or logo can only take you so far.