Formlabs is 3D printing parts of New Balance’s new sneakers

Sneakers have been a pretty effective means for helping 3D printing make the transition from prototype to manufacturing. Carbon in particular has found success with its Adidas partnership, printing out Futurecraft 4D shoes in limited quantities and scaling up considerably in the last few years. Announced back in 2017, the New Balance x Formlabs collab has just yielded two new sneaker styles at considerably less than those Adidas. The shoes don’t really deliver the long promised extreme customization championed by 3D printing advocates, but they do bring some of the technology’s unique properties to a pair of reasonably mass market sneakers. The heart of the collaboration is TripleCell, which is able to make a marginally lighter heel than standard injection molding, along with some solid cushioning support. The heel is printed in lattice structures using Formlabs’ proprietary Rebound Resin, which the company says is ever bit as durable as more traditional thermoplastic.