Recently, we had the 2016 Boston Marathon. With events like this happening companies are competing against each other to put 3D printed athletic shoes on the market. These companies include Under Armour, New Balance, 3DShoes.com, Nike, and Adidas. 3D printing is revolutionizing the footwear industry, and the possibilities it could bring are almost endless. The companies that jump on the industry successfully first with be the ones who dominate it.
Under Armour introduced us to their first partially made 3D training shoe, with a 3D printed lattice structure midsole. The launch of this shoe helped put the company ahead of the others in the race to create a 3D printed athletic shoe for consumers. New Balance announced recently that they planned to launch a limited edition 3D printed running shoe this month. Currently, Nike and Adidas are not included in this “competition.” Both of them, however, said that they do plan to produce customizable athletic shoes for consumers.
Under Armour is currently winning because they were the first to sell 3D printed athletic shoes to the public. But 3DShoes, Nike, New Balance, and other companies will catch up if they haven’t started to already. The possibility of customized 3D printed athletic shoes will continue to improve as 3D printing technology becomes more advanced. In less than a decade customers will be going to retail stores to have their feet scanned, or even be able to do it in their own home. Scans will be uploaded, and shoes will be 3D printed and shipped to the consumer.
Original Article: http://www.supplychain247.com/article/the_3d-printed_shoe_race_and_what_it_means_for_your_supply_chain
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