Adidas

Sporting brand adidas has become the latest company to employ Powerfoyle solar-charging technology to keep the wireless music playing. The RPT-02 SOL wireless headphones have also been made using post-consumer recycled plastic.

Although you may not give much thought to the weight of your sports sunglasses, you likely would notice if they were exceptionally light. Adidas' new 3D-printed specs certainly fit the bill, as they reportedly tip the scales at a mere 20 grams.

Adidas has taken shoe design to interesting places recently, playing with unique materials such as biodegradable fabrics and ocean plastics last year. Now the design team has binned the laces to create the UltraBOOST Laceless performance running shoe.

​Some big names in the footwear realm are exploring the potential of 3D printing to give their shoes an edge. Adidas is one that seems to be pretty much sold on the value of this emerging manufacturing method, and has today revealed the first shoes it will mass-produce using 3D printing. ​

Adidas has been exploring the possibilities of 3D printing when it comes to footwear for a little while, now culminating in the launch of its first 3D-printed trainer for the public, the 3D Runner. ​

Adidas is no stranger to experimenting with alternative materials and manufacturing techniques, such as shoes made of recycled ocean plastic and 3D printed runners. These have now been joined by the new Futurecraft Biofabric, made of a new biodegradable material called Biosteel.

Adidas has some short-term plans to put some of the debris in the ocean to use. The sportswear manufacturer has today announced that its footwear made from recycled plastic waste will be available to buy this month.

Adidas is to open a second of its so-called "Speedfactories" following the success of its pilot site in Germany. Located near the US city of Atlanta, Georgia, the facility will boast high levels of automation, allowing for increased production volumes and more color, material and size options.

The first batch of Adidas footwear to be produced using ocean plastic has been made available. The sportswear brand partnered with Parley for the Oceans to create the Adidas x Parley, which is made with plastics collected in coastal areas of the Maldives, as well as illegal deep-sea gill nets.

Adidas has announced that it is ready to begin commercial production of footwear at a robot-staffed factory in Germany. The so-called "Speedfactory" in Ansbach will apparently allow the firm to produce more shoes, with greater precision and with new designs.

Adidas has done away with a staple of most covered footwear and launched a laceless football boot that's to be worn in-game by some of the world's top players this weekend.

Custom-made sports footwear is typically the preserve of professional athletes, but perhaps not for much longer. Adidas has unveiled a 3D-printed running shoe midsole concept that it hopes to make publicly available. Futurecraft 3D would be molded to the wearer's foot-shape for improved performance.