Adidas Reveals Its First Robot Manufactured Shoes

Adidas has unveiled the Futurecraft M.F.G., a shoe assembled by robots in its Speedfactory facility in Germany. We can expect to see more robot made shoes when the factory goes commercial in 2017.

Adidas robot made shoes

Companies are increasingly turning to robots to create their products. Robots will take five million jobs in the U.S. alone by 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And the International Labor Organization reports that 137 million Asian workers could lose their jobs to robots in the next 20 years. Shoemaker Adidas is betting big on the robotic revolution.

They’ve been operating a factory in Germany almost exclusively staffed by robots — and we are now seeing its first shoes. Meet the Futurecraft M.F.G (made for Germany), a running shoe that sports Adidas’ trademark Primeknit upper and 3D printed Boost midsole.

Adidas has also automated shoe design through ARAMIS motion capture technology. This determines the strain and tension in an individual’s skin or bone to create a better shoe. Ben Heath, Adidas’ vice president of design, said the M.F.G. is an example of using robots to make better fitting shoes for athletes.

“The [Speedfactory] facility allows us to use data and analytics to shape the future of performance product — we can create a shoe using real-life insight, which can then provide real benefits to the athlete,” Heath said in a press release.

The company is trying to shake up the industry with its Futurecraft line, but is only be offering 500 pairs, for now. We can expect to see more shoes coming out of the Speedfactory when it goes commercial in 2017.