3D-printed athletic gear has seen a significant rise in popularity recently. From track spikes to even stadium prototypes, this material technology has aided the sports world’s development in many different ways.
Not one to miss out on a new apparel trend, Under Armour has unveiled a new red, white, and blue pair of sneakers that implement the best aspects of 3D-printing into their design. The UA Architech, introduced in March, is a 360-degree performance training shoe featuring a 3D printed midsole and 3D ClutchFit auxetic upper design, creating the ideal “super-hybrid” trainer.
“The training shoe [we created] is phenomenally stable, but also cushioned, which is often hard to achieve at the same time,”Under Armour President of product and innovation Kevin Haley told TheStreet. “The [3D-printed] lattice structure is allowing us to create the holy grail of a super stable but also cushioned [sneaker] — I think it has legs in lots of different end uses.”
The shoes have certainly attracted consumers with their 3D-printed midsole technology. With its upper design to enhance the fit and lightweight, it is no wonder the first round of UA Artchitechs sold out in under twenty minutes.
Under Armour CEO: "new $300 3D printed shoe sold out in 19 minutes." $UA
— Brian Sozzi (@BrianSozzi) April 21, 2016
“What you will see [this year] is an increase in the number of units, colors and styles in the Architech [Under Armour’s 3D-printed shoe line] platform this year,” Haley continued confidently. Clearly, the company is proud of their 3D-printed hybrid-like sports shoe.
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To build on this new 3D printed approach and combine it with their biggest athlete at the Rio Olympics, Under Armour has now revealed a one-of-a-kind model of their shoe for the most decorated competition swimmer in history. Olympic champion Michael Phelps will be wearing these new shoes when he is not competing in the pool in Rio.
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The Baltimore-based company did not stop there to assure Phelps’ endorsement was not unappreciated. In his special edition of sneakers, Under Armour included an actual-sized footprint on the sole of the shoe representing Boomer, Phelps’ three month old son. This, along with the tiny black footprint on the outside of the shoes truly illustrates that Phelps will have a symbol of his son with him in Rio, literally every step of the way.
With Phelps being one of the first athletes to rock these new shoes, Under Armour could potentially see a huge increase in sales number for the UA Artchitechs in a few years. The summer Olympics are the greatest sporting event to come along every four years, so fans across the world will be taking note of what their favorite athletes are wearing. While this is a total branding play, now that Under Armour has the greatest swimmer of all time wearing their new shoes at this event, only time will tell how these new 3D-printed shoes are received by consumers.