Global – The sports brand has unveiled Strung, a new textile and manufacturing process that uses data and robotics to change how footwear is created.
Part of the Futurecraft incubator at adidas, the tech-driven textile innovation draws on athlete data, additive manufacturing and robotics.To create strong but lightweight textile uppers, each individual thread is data-mapped and woven together for a seamless fit that supports the foot’s natural movement. The uppers are also produced using one piece of material, as each thread can be set in any direction to provide support and flexibility.
In a bid to deliver the optimal experience for forefoot striking runners, the design and fit aim to improve running times by five metres per second or faster. The company has hopes for further athletic applications across different runner profiles, and intends to include Strung uppers across the adidas sports range.
Apparel and footwear brands are turning to robotics to adopt automated manufacturing processes. For more on this, read our microtrend Fast Fabrication.