Adidas Launches Fully 3D Printed Shoe for CNY1299 — Featuring Foamed Polyurethane (PU) Technology

On July 19, 2025, Adidas officially released its fully 3D printed Climacool Laced sneakers in select stores across China, priced at CNY1299. The online debut sold out instantly.

Having recently tested 3D printed footwear from a wide range of domestic manufacturers, Panda3dp.com hadn’t yet tried Adidas’s new release. Braving a typhoon and heavy rain, he rushed to the Adidas store at Shenzhen Longhua Houlang New World and picked up a pair.
“The first to touch, try, and buy it at our store!” said the clerk.
(Some netizens joked Panda3dp.com was the “first big sucker.”)

A New Texture and Feel

Up close, the printing lines on the shoe are much thicker than usual. From a distance, the dense perforations aren’t easily noticeable.

△ Tiny foam nodules formed during the process resemble sweet potato roots

Adidas partnered with Carbon to develop this shoe using an advanced foamed polyurethane (PU) 3D printing technique.

Unlike traditional smooth-surfaced 3D prints, the foam-printed shoes exhibit a fuzzy, slightly coarse texture.

The Technology Behind the Foam

This revolutionary material is powered by Carbon’s EPU Pro platform — a next-gen, single-component, dual-cure elastomer designed for high performance and superior usability. With a Shore hardness of 70A for this shoe (range: 50A–90A), it incorporates foaming agents into the resin to allow the printed part to expand during curing, creating a distinct texture and elastic feel.

Foaming addresses two key issues:

1. Overly plasticky PU feel
The matte, brushed finish of the foam greatly improves the surface quality and tactile experience.

2. Poor foot fit in one-piece printed shoes
Traditional polyurethane uppers are dense and heavy. By reducing foam density, the shoe becomes lighter and more form-fitting, enhancing comfort.

How It’s Made: Tiny Shoe Becomes Full Size

The process starts by printing a miniature version of the shoe using high-speed CLIP (Continuous Liquid Interface Production) light-curing 3D printers. After undergoing a foaming treatment, it expands to full sizes like 39–44.

Achieving accurate, uniform expansion is challenging. Inconsistent foaming leads to poor fit, and for online retail, this could mean high return rates. The fact that Adidas is now selling these at scale shows they’ve solved these problems.

A Different Wearing Experience

Compared to traditional 3D printed shoes, foamed versions feel noticeably different.
Panda3dp.com observed that the foamed surface has greater friction, making the shoe harder to slip into — but providing a snugger fit.

△ Panda3dp.com’s pair of Adidas 3D printed shoes — Made in Taiwan, China

△ Only about one-third of the outsole has open lattice holes; the rest is solid, reducing the chance of pebbles getting stuck

Panda3dp.com has been wearing 3D printed shoes since around 2019 — over 10 different pairs, plus various 3D printed insoles. Thanks to his close ties with major manufacturers, he often gets to try unreleased models.

Over the years, he’s tested:

· TPU midsoles via SLS from Beijing UnionTech

· Elastic resin midsoles via CLIP from Adidas

· High-speed resin prints from Qingfeng Technology

· Two-part resin casual shoes from Suzhou BOLI

This has saved him quite a bit on footwear.

Adidas has been a trailblazer in this field, selling 3D printed shoes since 2015. Back then, they used SLS nylon powder to print midsoles.

Panda3dp.com predicts that fully 3D printed shoes — where the entire shoe, not just the sole, is printed — will be the tipping point that brings this tech into every household. And Adidas, he believes, is poised to lead the charge.

New brands are also emerging fast in this niche market:
Startrail, Zellerfeld, Onetwo3D, AC3D, Reload, Meiji, KOA — all rising rapidly in the 3D footwear space.

“You’ve been in 3D printing media for over 12 years and have nearly a million followers — why not launch your own 3D printed shoe line?”
suggested a longtime fan.

That struck a chord.
“Why not?” thought Panda3dp.com.
What if it actually works?