New Balance wins race to sell first 3-D-printed midsole shoe

Boston’s New Balance will release a sneaker industry first in April — a limited-edition, high-performance running shoe with a 3-D-printed midsole.

New Balance has been working on 3-D-printed midsoles for several years. “The recent breakthrough is really in terms of the performance we’re able to deliver,” said Katherine Petrecca, general manager of studio innovation.

That milestone came in the strength, durability, weight and flexibility of the midsoles made with Rock Hill, S.C.-based 3D Systems’ elastomeric powder known as DuraForm Flex TPU, according to Petrecca. “They hold up to the rigors of performance … and endurance running,” she said.

Midsoles, which have cushioning and stability elements, are the primary component that deliver the “ride” of a shoe and usually are made of foam through injection or compression molding. “The main benefit for the consumer is we are able to design the entire volume of the part — all of the interior space,” Petrecca said. “With molding, you can only hit the exterior walls of the design.”

A 3-D printer segments an electronic file of the midsole design layer by layer. A laser then melts and fuses the elastomeric powder to make a cross section of the midsole and build it from the ground up. “Because it’s building it layer by layer, no matter what the material is, you get the complete freedom of creation, so you can design a product for performance versus manufacturability,” said Cathy Price, 3D Systems’ chief marketing officer.

A challenge for New Balance is scaling the technology for mass production. By 2017, it hopes consumers will be able to go to a New Balance store, undergo biomechanical testing, give personal preferences and get a midsole customized for their performance.