Adidas Futurecraft 4D Soles Are Now on a Y-3 Sneaker
In 2017, Adidas introduced its first sneaker with a 3D-printed sole: the “Futurecraft” series, a collection of concept-car-like sneakers designed as moonshots for the future of sneakers. This sole is still a relatively new addition to an arsenal that already includes the wildly successful “Boost” sole and the hit sneakers by Kanye West. But if the inaugural release of the Futurecraft 4D last month has showed us anything, it’s that sneakerheads love this new mint-green midsole and are craving more of it. Conveniently, even Adidas's most high-end collaborators are now getting in on the 4D action. This week, after its debut at Paris Fashion Week, the Adidas Y-3 Runner 4D is hitting virtual shelves.
For a label as high-minded as Adidas’s Y-3, which is led by the progressive Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, incorporating the 4D technology seems like a no-brainer. Yamamoto has spent most of his career blending traditional craftsmanship with breakthrough technology, and has always been ahead of the curve with his unique take on sport-meets-style aesthetics. (We're pretty sure no one was calling it "athleisure" when Y-3 first debuted in 2003.) This new Y-3 Runner fits the bill, featuring a Primeknit upper with premium leather overlays and the same 3D-printed midsole as the coveted Futurecraft 4D. (And in the same shade of pale mint green, no less.) Something about the unstructured silhouette, and one cranked up a notch via luxury materials, makes the mash-up feel like a perfect fit.
This is only the beginning of what we can expect from Adidas and their 3D-printing technology, too. Eventually the Three Stripes wants to roll this “4D” tech out to their roster of sneakers, molding custom soles and ensuring an optimal fit while also reducing waste. (The technique also turns out sneakers in record time, and with literal laser precision.) So if you’re looking for a sneaker with a sole built by science—and that looks equally at home on the Parisian runway as it would in outer space—take a good long look at the Y-3 Runner 4D.
$535, available February 23 at END Clothing, or enter their raffle now.
