While many 3D printed shoes tend to be ultra-forward thinking in terms of their design, sportswear giant adidas has unveiled a new design that is sure to appeal to both those interested in a futuristic style and those who appreciate the classics.
CLIMACOOL LACED is the company’s latest 3D printed sneaker, which features a unique printed structure and a lacing system, which not only makes for a classic sneaker profile but also allows for a more adjustable fit.
adidas first launched its CLIMACOOL shoes in 2024, introducing a new footwear concept for the brand that leveraged 3D printing to make a single-piece shoe with a lattice structure designed to “mold seamlessly around the foot” and offer 360° airflow.
The idea with CLIMACOOL was to create a shoe that was “made like nothing, feels like nothing, looks like nothing”. The shoe, made in partnership with Gabriel Moses, was also distinctive for its sizing, which as adidas said, broke away from conventional gendered sizing and offered an adaptable fit, along with arch support and integrated heel pillows.
The new CLIMACOOL LACED sneakers continue this tradition of seamless construction with one distinct difference: the laces. From an aesthetic perspective, the 3D printed sneakers are available in an off-white colorway with contrasting black laces. The shoe also features adidas’ distinctive ghost stripes, which seem to be available in either black or monochromatic white.
The shoe itself reportedly takes only 24 hours to 3D print, a process that includes “spinning, baking and compression” using special high-performance polymers. The brand doesn’t specify what technology is used, but we know that previous 3D printed shoes made by adidas (specifically, its Futurecraft 4D footwear) leverage Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis technology.
Generally speaking, footwear brands are increasingly exploring the use of 3D printing to make high-performance shoes for a number of reasons. As CLIMACOOL demonstrates very clearly, the technology’s propensity for monolithic lattice structures offers unique benefits in terms of airflow and comfort. For another, being able to make a shoe from a single piece—using lattice design to tailor properties like cushioning, density and support—streamlines the production process significantly, not only minimizing cutting and assembly steps associated with traditional sneaker production but also eliminating the need for surplus materials, like adhesives, which make conventional shoes difficult to recycle.
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