Sportswear brand Adidas has worked with design studio Kram/Weisshaar to create a robotically woven upper called Strung that can be made to the exact specification of athletes.
Described by Adidas as a material revolution, the upper is woven from multi-directional threads by a robot that is programmed to the exact requirements of the wearer,
incorporating factors such as their individual stride and foot shape.
Adidas has developed a robotically woven upper called Strung
“Put simply, Strung is a totally new kind of textile that has never existed before,” explained Adidas innovation designer Fionn Corcoran-Tadd.
“Knitting and weaving have been around for centuries, and for the first time we are able to break away from the constraints of those more traditional materials,”
he told Dezeen. “With the bespoke software and robotics, we are able to place threads of different material types in any direction, which is a first across industries.”
To demonstrate the concept, Adidas created the Futurecraft Strung shoe by combining the newly developed upper with its existing 3D-printed midsole technology called 4D.
The additive-manufacturing process means that a lightweight and stronger upper can be made with threads placed exactly where they are needed for strength or flexibility.
