Vegan fashion designer Stella McCartney has teamed up with Adidas and 3D manufacturing specialists Carbon to create a new sustainable shoe.
It isn’t the first product to be produced by the footwear giant and Carbon; last year, the duo launched the AlphaEdge 4D limited.
This time around, the women’s shoe is designed entirely by McCartney. Based on a sock design, the AlphaEdge 4D features a black mesh upper and an off-white midsole, the branding “Stella McCartney” is printed around the top.
According to 3D Printing Industry, Adidas uses the 3D printing technique to ensure its designs are the best they can be in terms of performance and comfort. It notes, “Futurecraft 4D is made using the running data of athletes to map out the optimal parts of the midsole to provide cushioning and support.”
Lattice like midsole structures are then 3D printed using Carbon’s Continuous Liquid Interface Production technology. “This helps to provide superior, controlled energy return from the midsoles when running,” the publication adds.
Stella McCartney and Adidas have an ongoing partnership. In the past, the brands have teamed up to launch sustainable activewear using recycled polyester, ocean plastic, and cotton.
McCartney said in a statement at the time, “as the brand at the pinnacle of female sports performance and style, we have a responsibility to provide women with a choice that allows them to be part of a solution through our sustainable pieces and practices.”
The two companies also recently collaborated on a vegan leather Stan Smith sneaker, worn by stars such as Emma Thompson, Madonna, and Meghan Markle.
Adidas is on a mission to become a more sustainable brand. Last summer, it made the announcement that by 2024, it would only use recycled plastic in its designs and its offices. The move is estimated to save around 40 tonnes of plastic a year.
Stella McCartney is also widely recognized as a pioneer of sustainable fashion, using only vegetarian fabrics in all of its designs.
The new 3D printed Stella McCartney x Adidas Alphaedge 4D shoe is expected to go on sale this month, retailing for around $350-$450 USD.
