Nike Releases First Cleat Built Using 3D Printing Technology
Nike Football debuted the Nike Vapor Laser Talon with a 3D printed plate that will help football athletes perform at their best. The Nike Vapor Laser Talon weighs a mere 5.6 ounces and is specifically designed to provide optimal traction on football turf and to help athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer.
To develop the cleat, Nike designers worked with elite trainers within Nike SPARQ as well as long time partner and gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson. The plate is crafted using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology, which uses high-powered lasers to fuse small particles of materials into a 3D shape.
“Nike’s new 3D printed plate is contoured to allow football athletes to maintain their drive position longer and more efficiently, helping them accelerate faster through the critical first 10 yards of the 40,” said Johnson. “Translated to the game of football, mastering the Zero Step can mean the difference between a defensive lineman sacking the quarterback or getting blocked.”
“SLS technology has revolutionized the way we design cleat plates – even beyond football – and gives Nike the ability to create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes,”