Religion Kipyegon, a middle-distance runner from Kenya with a number of Olympic medals beneath her belt, will quickly try to interrupt the four-minute mile—beating her personal file of 4 minutes 7.64 seconds in 2023. This try will happen on June twenty sixth in Paris and is sponsored by Nike, which has collaborated with the athlete to optimize her efficiency, not solely by means of coaching but in addition attire. On this entrance, Nike has created a brand new efficiency materials, a 3D printed TPU textile known as FlyWeb, from which it has made a customized sports activities bra for Kipyegon.
The fabric is the results of a number of years of improvement and experimentation and is Nike’s first actual software for 3D printing outdoors of footwear. In keeping with Janett Nichol, VP of Innovation at Nike, that is really the primary time the corporate has used AM to create high-performance sports activities attire for an athlete. She explains: “What works on a shoe doesn’t simply translate to one thing you put on in your physique.It took years of re-engineering—not simply the supplies however the design strategy itself—to make FlyWeb really feel gentle, breathable and delightful sufficient for attire.”
The 3D printed bra, the primary product created from FlyWeb, has a minimalist design and is created from a single seamless layer. Nike’s crew used computational design software program within the creation of the wearable piece, which enabled them to regulate components like match and assist, in addition to fine-tune airflow, density and stretch in several areas of the bra.
The result’s a supportive sports activities bra that’s light-weight, suits like a second pores and skin and is extraordinarily breathable. For anybody that has worn a sports activities bra earlier than, this represents a big departure from the everyday clothes created from a number of layers of professional quality cloth.
“It’s gentle. It’s gentle—so gentle, it feels such as you’re not sporting something in any respect,” Nichol provides. “That’s the No. 1 factor testers inform us: It disappears in your physique but someway delivers unimaginable assist. You’ll be able to really really feel the air in your chest. Most girls have by no means skilled that whereas working. We don’t even give it some thought as a result of it’s simply not one thing we’ve ever anticipated to really feel.”
The 3D printed bra is a key innovation that might assist propel Kipyegon to breaking the four-minute mile, however it isn’t the one factor Nike has deliberate to assist enhance the Kenyan athlete. Notably, the sportswear large got down to create the “most aerodynamic velocity swimsuit in working historical past” for her and the result’s the Nike Fly Swimsuit, a one-piece garment created from stretchy, slippery supplies that integrates Aeronodes that cut up the air and cut back drag for the runner. Kipyegon will put on the 3D printed sports activities bra created from FlyWeb—a one-of-one product in line with Nike—beneath the Nike Fly Swimsuit.
3D printing, pretty effectively established within the manufacturing of footwear, can be discovering new functions in the case of efficiency attire. Earlier this week, as an example, we lined a narrative a few new startup ARMA that’s growing personalized efficiency gloves for athletes created from the state-of-the-art Speedy Liquid Print (RLP) know-how. Final month, sports activities gear producer Reusch launched Attrakt Fusion Carbon 3D, the first goalkeeper glove with a 3D printed punch zone (marketed by Premiere League goalkeeper Alisson Becker).
