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Nike
Nike Bag
Nike's 3D-printed kitbag for tournament's star players, Neymar Jr, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Nike
Nike Bag
Nike's 3D-printed kitbag for Neymar Jr. personalised with his name.
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Nike
Nike
Nike's Mercurial FlyLite shin pads produced using 3D printing.
Nike has used 3D printing to manufacture a sports bag ahead of the 2014 World Cup, which kicks off in Brazil this week.
The internationally-renowned sportswear manufacturer has made just three of the limited-edition additive manufactured kitbags that are destined to be gifted to the football tournament's star players, Neymar Jr, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, with each sportsman's bag being personalised just for them.
The bag has a 3D-printed base, with this material forming the vast majority of the bag's structure, which includes eye-catching laser-sintered nylon "flex" webbing, creating an intertwined weave on the bottom of the bag. Hand-crafted leather is utilised for the bag's straps and upper part.
Creative Director for Nike Football Martin Lotti said: "We wanted to create something that was truly special for the game's greatest players. We did this by utilising one of the most cutting-edge technologies - 3D printing - to make a bag that is unlike anything else.'
Moreover, Nike has produced a shin pad using 3D printing technology to manufacture a new and absorbent layer to replace the traditional foam layer as a more effective shock absorber.
The structure of the shin guards provides more consistent protection from impact than traditional foam, while it is more malleable, wrapping around the lower leg more closely. Christened the Mercurial FlyLite, the hi-tech pads will be available to buy from July 1st via nike.com.
Lotti stated: "Players such as Neymar recognise the need for a guard and want that protection, but they tell us they want it without sacrifice. So we sought to give them just that - our best protection without sacrificing speed, fit or comfort.
"We found that the more material you took away, the better the guard protected the shin. Reducing material also allowed for unprecedented flexibility, creating a fit that was unlike anything players had experienced."
Both the bag and the shin pads were designed to coordinate and both demonstrate the efficiency of using 3D printing to produce clothing and accessories, as the kit bag in particular required less work as the bag and base were manufactured to fit perfectly together without the need for glue or adhesive.
Watch out for both accessories when the games begin!