Nike granted 3D printing patent

Sporting giant Nike has been granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office for a new footwear three-dimensional (3D) printing process. The technique involves the creation of an upper by digital designs being 3D printed onto fabric material. The outer sole is then also 3D printed directly onto the upper, to eliminate and requirements for ‘traditional’ two-part shoe construction methods.

According to Nike, this new technique produces advanced material customisation, and allows footwear designers to enhance the characteristics of abrasion resistance, flexibility, rigidity, strength and support. The method is said to remove the need for heavy adhesives, stitching and excess material layers, thus opening the possibility of designing lighter-weight footwear.

The patent application was initially filed in December 2023 and was published in April of last year before recently being granted. David Jones and Ryan Larson are named on the document as key investors in the process. Jones is a co-inventor on several patents which involve 3D printing onto fabric, and Larson is director of Nike’s Digital & 3D Cushioning Systems team.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 3 of the March 2025 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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