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ASICS Bypasses 3D Printing with Microwave Method « Fabbaloo

ASICS Bypasses 3D Printing with Microwave Method

By on October 22nd, 2017 in Usage

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The ASICS non-3D printed custom shoe sole
The ASICS non-3D printed custom shoe sole

Hold on there – Did ASICS just leapfrog Adidas by NOT using 3D printing? 

There seems to be a bit of a footwear battle underway between the major manufacturers. Earlier this year Adidas partnered with Carbon to develop a system for mass producing 3D printed shoe midsoles. It was a huge deal for Carbon as it provided a way for them to ramp up the production of their machines very rapidly. 

The idea was to be able to 3D print midsoles of unusual properties by leveraging 3D printing techniques, and thatā€™s certainly true. 

However, I now see that ASICS has come out with a technique that somehow appears to ā€œcompeteā€ with Adidas. Hereā€™s how it works: 

Itā€™s a microwave process that apparently enables the creation of a custom sole in only seconds. I presume the buyer would select the color mix, just like they might at an all-you-can-eat buffet, and then a sales person zaps the sole into form for sale. 

The ASICS process is not 3D printing, and itā€™s not a midsole either, but in the minds of the public it is ā€œASICS doing something advancedā€, just like Adidas was hoping to achieve with their 3D printing venture. 

If these parties – and others – continue in their footwear technology race, we may see the competition drive some interesting innovations in the future. Perhaps weā€™ll see truly 3D printed custom footwear available in shops worldwide. 

Or maybe not. 

Via ASICS

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!