Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors
  3. News

Adidas’ light-chiseled Futurecraft 4D shoe goes on sale January 18

By

adidas futurecraft 4d jan 18 8
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It has been over nine months since we were first teased with Adidas’ Futurecraft 4D, a shoe carved by light. And now, at the dawn of a new year, we are rewarded by the dawn of a new era in sneaker technology thanks to Digital Light Synthesis (DLS). Today, the Futurecraft 4D is finally making its public debut with a limited release in New York. The kicks will set you back $300, and will be available through Adidas Consortium retailers including KITH, Packer, and SNS.

Created out of a partnership with Carbon and its Digital Light Synthesis technology, the Futurecraft 4D boasts a single component midsole featuring 20,000 struts to bring stability, cushioning, comfort, and some serious breathability to your foot. The breathability component comes as a result of Carbon’s proprietary CLIP technology, which leverages oxygen-permeable optics, digital light projection, and programmable liquid resins to manufacture an object.

Recommended Videos

In order to actually make the Futurecraft 4D, Carbon and Adidas projected UV light into a pool of resin, which immediately hardened, creating various shapes and designs. Think of it as the next step beyond 3D printing. DLS allows Adidas to customize every aspect of the shoe. Ultimately, the company believes, using DLS will allow the average customer to simply send in his or her stats and measurements and have the perfect shoe built and delivered on demand.

Of course, the current $300 price tag isn’t one that’s awfully accessible to everyone looking for their favorite pair of shoes. As Gerd Manz, Adidas’ vice president of technology innovation, told Digital Trends last April, “In every technology, at the beginning, you have a certain price tag. For us, this will be a premium level offer. But, we are working very hard to bring it further and further down in cost and increase our volume, as well as the availability of the product.”

That hard work may pay off particularly now that Adidas and Carbon’s partnership has grown even stronger, what with an announcement that Adidas executive board member Eric Liedtke is joining Carbon’s board of directors. With this new move, we might see further partnerships between the two companies before 2018 is over. And hopefully, future collaborations will be just as cool as light-chiseled shoes, but with a price tag that’s a bit more manageable than $300.

Around 5,000 pairs of the Futurecraft 4D said to be available this winter, but Adidas hopes to have around 100,000 pairs in stores for purchase by the end of the year.

Update: Adidas announces the availability of Futurecraft 4D shoes and its addition to the Carbon board. 

Topics
Lulu Chang
Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
TORRAS COOLiFY Cyber offers ultimate personal cooling to beat the summer heat
TORRAS COOLiFY Cyber personal AC worn outdoors

Imagine this: The summer heat is baking down on you from above. You're close to overheating, and you desperately need to cool down. The problem is you don't have quick access to a vehicle, nor can you retreat indoors to cool down quickly with central AC. Drinking some water and staying hydrated might help, to a point, but otherwise, you're stuck in that heat, dare we say, suffering. That's the perfect time to throw on TORRAS' COOLiFY Cyber, a cutting-edge wearable air conditioner. Wait, what? That's right, it slips right over your neck to keep you cool and comfortable. Thanks to the 6,000mAh rechargeable battery built-in, it can provide up to 13 hours of cooling on a single charge. But that's not all it does. A fan mode provides extra airflow, ideal for hot, musty, or humid weather. On colder days, it even provides a little heat. So, it's incredibly versatile and one of the most innovative personal comfort solutions on the market. Let's talk a little more about why you might use it.
Buy Now
 
Cutting-edge personal comfort when you need it most

The default scenario is when you're outside in the heat, like standing around at your kid’s sporting event, visiting a local park, on a walk or run, or just about any time you’re outside. The COOLiFY Cyber can provide the right temperature for what you need, delivering an ice-cold feeling. It's an excellent companion for those who have trouble with temperature regulation and often find themselves facing uncomfortable conditions, even where others seem fine. For example, if you're hot at home or while visiting friends or family when no one else seems to be, you can turn to the COOLiFY CYBER to get your body comfortable again.

Read more
Get ready for summer with this Traeger pellet smoker deal
A full meal cooks on a Traeger Pro 780 grill.

Families who are looking for grill deals to use during the summer season should check out Best Buy's offer for the Traeger Grills Pro 780. This wood pellet grill and smoker, which usually costs $1,000, is down to only $800 following a $200 discount. We're not sure how much time is remaining on this bargain, but with the grill's very high average rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 stars, we think stocks may run out quickly. If you don't want to miss out, you're going to have to complete the purchase for it right away.

Why you should buy the Traeger Grills Pro 780
The Traeger Grills Pro 780 is in our list of the best outdoor grills as the best smart grill with its WiFIRE technology that enables a variety of helpful features. Once connected to your home's Wi-Fi network, you'll be able to use the Traeger app to turn the grill on or off, monitor its cooking temperatures, and set cooking schedules. You'll also be able to use Amazon's Alexa to control the Traeger Grills Pro 780 using voice commands.

Read more
Best Buy is having a Traeger grill sale right now
The Traeger Grills Ironwood wood pellet grill on a white background.

Summer is the perfect time for grilling, which means there will be a lot of interest in grill deals with the season's arrival. There's no shortage of options out there, but here are a couple of bargains from Best Buy that you should definitely check out -- the Traeger Grills Ironwood for $1,600 following a $200 discount on its original price of $1,800, and the Traeger Grills Ironwood XL for $1,800 following a $200 discount on its original price of $2,000. These wood pellet grills are excellent for family gatherings, game days, outdoor parties, and any similar occasion, but if you want to pocket the savings for either model, you shouldn't be wasting time. There's a chance that their prices go back to normal as soon as tomorrow, you should proceed with the transaction for the grill that you want right now.
Traeger Grills Ironwood -- $1,600, was $1,800

Traeger Grills Ironwood XL -- $1,800, was $2,000

Read more