New Balance launches first 3d printed running shoe

BOSTON, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 – Global athletic leader #newbalance announced today they will be launching the first high performance #running shoe with a 3D printed midsole. Through an exclusive collaboration with 3D Systems and their newly developed elastomeric powder, DuraForm® Flex TPU, #newbalance has made significant advancements in the performance of printed parts for #running shoes. The new midsoles leverage the benefits of 3D printing and breakthroughs in materials science to achieve an optimal balance of flexibility, strength, weight and durability. This limited edition, state-of-the-art #running shoe will launch first in Boston in April 2016 and then in select #newbalance retail locations around the globe. The shoes will also be on display and in use by employees in the 3D Systems booth at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.

The latest designs of the 3D printed midsole are based on underfoot pressure data from heel strikers with more cushioning elements in areas of higher average pressure. This data to #design formula follows the path that #newbalance designers used to create the award winning Fresh Foam collection. For midsole production, #newbalance uses selective laser sintering (SLS), a process which converts new powder materials into solid cross-sections, layer by layer, using a laser. DuraForm® Flex TPU powder gives the resulting parts a previously unavailable combination of strength and elasticity that is ideal for performance #running shoes.

“This project represents an unprecedented technical collaboration in footwear”, says Sean Murphy #newbalance Senior Manager of Innovation and Engineering. “To deliver this level of performance with a 3D printed component, we paired experts in #running and biomechanics with leaders in plastics engineering, material development and generative #design. These are the types of collaborations that will drive footwear #design and manufacturing in the future.”  

In 2013 #newbalance was the first athletic brand to have a track athlete, middle distance runner Jack Bolas, compete with data-customized, 3D printed spike plates. Since then Team #newbalance athletes have continued to compete in custom, printed spikes including US Olympic Athlete Kim Conley at the 2014 USATF Outdoor National Championships where she came in first in the 10,000m. Beyond Track & Field #newbalance has also created customized soccer cleats and baseball spikes for its elite athletes. #newbalance soccer star #aaronramsey wore a bespoke boot with printed plates in the FA Cup Final on May 30, 2015. #newbalance continues to expand data customization with elite athletes and expects more athletes to test out customized products in practice and games in the near future.

“In 2013 we said this was the future of footwear manufacturing and today we are proud to bring the future to consumers with a fully 3D printed midsole,” says #newbalance President and CEO Robert DeMartini. “With 3D printing we are able to pursue performance customization at a whole new level. The #newbalance Innovation Team is showcasing the latest in performance #running and these advancements signify an important step forward to becoming one of the world’s top athletic brands.” 

For more information please visit www.newbalance.com.

About New Balance

New Balance, headquartered in Boston, MA has the following mission: Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are proud to create and communities are proud to host. #newbalance is the only major company to make or assemble more than 4 million pairs of athletic footwear per year in the USA, which represents a limited portion of our US sales. Where the domestic value is at least 70%, we label our shoes Made in the USA. #newbalance owns five factories in New England and one in Flimby, U.K. #newbalance employs more than 5,000 associates around the globe, and in 2014 reported worldwide sales of $3.3 billion. To learn more about #newbalance, please visit www.newbalance.com.