Nike makes first 3D-printed football shoe!

Today, Nike Football debuted the Nike Vapor Laser Talon with a revolutionary 3D printed plate that will help football athletes perform at their best. In a version built to master the 40, the Nike Vapor Laser Talon weighs a mere 5.6 oz. and is specifically designed to provide optimal traction on football turf and to help athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer. It is to say that the 5.6 oz shoes were designed to improve an athlete’s “zero step,” the moment in a sprint when an athlete pushes off and before their foot touches the ground for the first time. It’s in that moment when propulsion and acceleration speed are determined. To create a cleat that improves the zero step, Nike had to turn to 3D printing because traditional manufacturing processes wouldn’t allow for mass production of the shape necessary for the shoe.

The sole, or plate, of the cleat of the Nike Vapor Laser Talon  was made using Selective Laser Sintering technology, which uses high-powered lasers to mold tiny particles into a three-dimensional shape. Through proprietary material selection, Nike was able to prototype a fully functional plate and traction system within a fraction of the traditional timeframe and at a fraction of the weight. That means that innovation can happen faster because design tweaks and updates can be done in hours instead of months.

Of course Nike’s use of 3D printing in manufacturing will have applications outside of just football cleats. “SLS technology has revolutionized the way we design cleat plates – even beyond football – and gives Nike the ability to create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes,” said Shane Kohatsu, Nike’s director of footwear innovation.

 

 

 

 

Sources: http://nikeinc.com/news/nike-debuts-first-ever-football-cleat-built-using-3d-printing-technology, http://www.humanoides.fr/2013/03/02/nike-se-met-a-limpression-3d/, http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/nike-makes-first-3d-printed-football-shoe/14028