Under Armour debuts UA Architech 3D-printed sneaker

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Mar 9, 2016

Under Armour this week debuted its first-ever 3D-printed sneaker, UA Architech. The Baltimore-based athletic company joins the likes of Nike, Adidas and New Balance that have also experimented with the 3D printing manufacturing technology and released 3D-printed sneakers.
 

UA Architech features a 3D ClutchFit auxetic upper and a 3D printed midsole that allows the shoe to flex and move with the foot. According to the American press, the training sneaker was conceptualized during a two-year research and development process that involved the study of geometric shapes and structures for the midsole design. Architech was printed using Autodesk Within software at the company’s Innovation Lab at its headquarters in Baltimore.

Under Armour joins Nike, Adidas New Balance, United Nude and Feetz as the latest company to explore 3D printing technology for footwear. Nike introduced its 3D-printed Vapor Laser Talon cleats in 2014, and in the following year, Adidas and New Balance introduced their 3D-printed sneakers featuring special midsole technology.

UA Architech will launch on March 18 at the Under Armour website and Baltimore Brand House. The sneaker will have a limited release of only 96 pairs, which is a nod to 1996, the year the company was founded, and it will retail for $300.