words // Brennan Hiro Williams
Nike debuted the new Vapor Laser Talon cleat at the 2013 NFL Combine today, the first ever football cleat built using modern 3D printing technology.
The new cleat, weighing in at only 5.6 ounces, utilizes a contoured plate crafted with Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology. The SLS manufacturing process uses high-powered pulsed lasers to fuse small material particles into a three-dimensional shape, allowing designers to create unique components not possible through traditional manufacturing methods. This also allows designers to reduce prototyping time, enacting design updates within hours instead of months.
“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” said Shane Kohatsu, Director of Nike Footwear Innovation.
Take a closer look at the new Nike Vapor Laster Talon cleat in the images below:
