Adidas looks to 3-D printers for new generation sneakers

NEW YORK: German sportswear giant Adidas said Friday it will start selling shoes with 3-D printed soles, taking a new step in expanding its customised sporting goods range.

The company already offers customers bespoke options including the colour and texture of their shoes, but the new 3D printing method would produce soles that are adapted to the individual’s weight and movement.

Adidas plans to sell 5,000 pairs of such sneakers this year, and is eyeing sales of as many as 100,000 pairs next year — figures that are, however, dwarfed by the 360 million pairs it moved in 2016.

Adidas did not specify how much each pair will cost, but said they would be marketed at a “premium price”.

The three-striped logo brand posted profits of 1.01 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in 2016, and has predicted an increase of around percent this year.