Adidas AG (ADR) (OTC: ADDYY) announced it
will be opening its first U.S. ‘Speedfactory' in 2017. With the amount of coverage in the Olympics regarding Michael Phelps
Under Armour Inc's (NYSE: UA) 3D shoes and
Nike Inc's (NYSE: NKE) Allyson Felix Superfly
FlyKnit 3D shoe, the Speedfactory will capitalize on the new 3D printed shoe trends we're seeing.
The company already controls a robot-operated Speedfactory in Germany. The North American Factory will be located in
Atlanta.
Speedfactories can produce products faster than ever before, adapting to consumer trends and tastes with a higher turnover of
products and better inventory management, similar to the fast success at international brands H&M and Zara.
Related Link: 3D
Printing: The Next Biggest Trend In Shoes
Under Armour opened its own 3D printing facility in Baltimore called the UA
Lighthouse. Nike is rumored to be spending $235 million on its own 3D shoe printing facility.
While the big shoe companies competing for the future of the 3D shoe printing market, there may be new brands popping up
overnight as 3D shoes become more widely available.
"Once mass 3D printing becomes more prevalent and anyone can have their own brand, the possibility of someone making it big with
their own 3D shoe brand is becoming more real," said 3Dshoes.com, an ecommerce platform for the new industry.
The founders at 3Dshoes.com also referenced a quote from Kanye West about the disruption
this new technology may have on the industry.
"This is what I'm afraid of right here, 3D printing, Because the Internet destroyed the music industry and now this is what
we're afraid of right now with the textile industry...there will come a time where it's like, people are making the shoes at home,"
West said in a 2015 Interview.
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