Adidas and Foot Locker are collaborating on a go-to-market plan that allows consumers to help create footwear with a local flavor. The plan takes inspiration from three themes: speed, cities and the open-source ideal of the computing world, where the raw code is public, free and open to changes by users. The shoes made with this process constitute the Adidas Made For (AM4) series.
The engine behind the plan is Speedfactory, the automated shoe production project of Adidas, which can manufacture limited runs of locally designed shoes up to 36 times faster than the industry standard. It allows Adidas to quickly tailor its shoes to a specific geography at the request of the very customers who live there.
As of this month, Adidas and Foot Locker will be co-creating consumer-inspired AM4 shoes at cultural and sporting events across the U.S. The inaugural event is the biggest sporting match in the country, the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), where the Los Angeles Rams will face off against the New England Patriots on Feb. 28 in the Super Bowl 53 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
For the occasion, the two partners have produced a series of running shoes and cleats called Adidas Made for Atlanta (AM4ATL). Both models have uppers with mid-foot and heel lockdown, the Torsion system for optimal heel-to-toe transition, glue-free digital bonding to the sole and an NFC-enabled electronic tongue patch that can connect wirelessly with a nearby portable electronic device. The running shoe uses Adidas' Boost midsole cushioning. The tie-dye print celebrates the cultural backgrounds of the various players.
Some players have already worn the shoes for the NFL's conference championship games on Jan. 21. Some will also be wearing them for the NFL's Pro Bowl game on Jan. 28, the same day the running shoes go on sale to the public. Customers can purchase them at adidas.com, footlocker.com, champssports.com and eastbay.com. They will also be available at select Foot Locker and Champs Sports stores in Greater Atlanta. The retail price is $200 per pair.
