Fabric footwear

London – Adidas lets the machines do the talking for the third chapter of its Futurecraft series, in collaboration with designer Alexander Taylor.

• The Futurecraft Tailored Fibre features customisable uppers made from a single piece of fabric knitted together by machines
• Tailored fibre placement (TFP) is an industrial sewing technique used to manufacture the electronic components in heated car seats

The third concept in the brand’s Futurecraft series, which examines new ideas for the future of sportswear through material and process innovations, the Tailored Fibre trainer marks the first time TFP has been used to create a complete upper.

The video details the intricate making process behind each shoe, where specific patterns and paths are followed by automated sewing machines in a dexterous display of needlework. A thin fibre is stitched onto an embroidered upper to create support or rigidity depending on the wearer’s preference.

Taylor was instrumental in the development of the Adidas Primeknit technology, which is now used to create millions of trainers each year.