adidas launches CLIMACOOL Laced shoe with ADDITIVE 3D-printed UV-cured polymer midsole

adidas has introduced the CLIMACOOL Laced (model KJ8968), a lifestyle sneaker featuring a 3D-printed midsole produced via ADDITIVE 3D printing technology using a UV-cured polymer. The shoe combines the brand's signature CLIMACOOL ventilation system with a lattice-structured, additively manufactured midsole, marking another consumer-facing application of polymer AM in footwear. The product is available now in select Asian markets, including Hong Kong, with a retail price positioned in the premium lifestyle segment.

This launch extends adidas' decade-long exploration of 3D-printed midsoles, which began with the Futurecraft 4D line in partnership with Carbon (using DLS technology). The CLIMACOOL Laced uses a different UV-cured polymer process from ADDITIVE, a German AM service and technology firm, rather than Carbon's proprietary platform. This signals adidas' willingness to diversify its AM supply chain beyond a single partner, a move that mirrors broader industry trends toward multi-sourcing in production-scale polymer AM. The consumer electronics and footwear verticals continue to be the fastest adopters of serial polymer AM production, with qualification cycles measured in months rather than the years seen in aerospace or medical.

For adidas, the practical challenge remains scaling this production to volumes that meaningfully impact footwear margins while maintaining the cost-per-part discipline that the athletic apparel market demands. The CLIMACOOL Laced is a design-forward statement piece, not a volume play—buyers should view it as a technology demonstration embedded in a commercial product, not a signal that 3D-printed midsoles have reached cost parity with injection molding. The real test will come when adidas applies this ADDITIVE partnership to a core running franchise at scale.