The traditional method of constructing sports shoes involved piecing
together different parts, which resulted in a less-than-perfect fit and was not
sustainable. adidas wanted to create a shoe that would provide maximum
performance benefits while also being environmentally friendly and increase
their productivity considering the flat knitting machines were to slow. To
achieve this goal, adidas needed to re-engineer the knitting process of shoe
uppers. The challenge was to find a way to knit the entire upper in one
continuous piece while ensuring lightness, form-fitting, sustainability, and
breathability.