Brooks has unveiled a new 3D-printed road running shoe with an unusual lattice-like midsole tailored to different shoe sizes, with the intention of providing maximum energy transfer for each runner. The Brooks Exhilarate-BlueLine is the first fruit of a new partnership between the sportswear company and HP, which launched its first 3D printer back in 2016.
The two companies have used running dynamics such as cadence and stride length, plus height and weight from runners with different shoe sizes to optimize the design for specific groups. According to Brooks and HP, the strange honeycomb design provides 90% more energy return than the vast majority of other running shoes currently on the market. Being less dense than standard EVA foam, it also uses fewer raw materials.
Brooks certainly isn't the first sportswear brand to dip its mesh-clad toe in 3D printing. For example, Adidas revealed its first partially 3D-printed concept shoe, the Futurecraft.Strung back in 2018. It was a peculiar design with a 3D printed sole unit and upper woven by robot arms, resulting in something that looked almost knitted.
Unlike the Futurecraft.Strung, the Brooks Exhilarate-BlueLine will actually be going into production, albeit in very small numbers. A handful of pairs will be available to Brooks Wear Testers in the US and Canada, and Brooks Run Club loyalty members who have synced running data from their GPS watches to the company's platform.
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