adidas is back at it again, pushing the boundaries of footwear technology—but this time, with a nod to sneakerheads who can’t live without their favorite lacing ritual. The brand’s avant‑garde 3D‑printed Climacool sneaker, once the preserve of early adopters and tech‑obsessed collectors, now comes with traditional eyelets and laces. It might sound like a small tweak, but it changes the way you interact with a shoe that already reinvented what a sneaker could be.

When adidas first dropped the slip‑on Climacool last September, it felt more like an art installation than footwear. Sold in extremely limited quantities—and only in an off‑white hue—the shoe’s seamless lattice structure impressed onlookers with its futuristic vibe. Yet, for all its engineering swagger, some wearers missed the ability to fine‑tune the fit. After a global rollout in April 2025, adidas listened and got to work on version 2.0: the Climacool Laced.

Unlike the “one‑size‑fits‑all” slip‑on, the new model introduces printed eyelets into the lattice and swaps the monochrome aesthetic for a punchy contrast: a black tongue and matching laces against the signature off‑white body. The result? A sneaker that bridges the divide between experimental tech piece and street‑ready staple.

At the heart of the Climacool design is an additive manufacturing process that takes roughly 24 hours per pair. According to adidas, each shoe undergoes a cycle of spinning, baking, and compression of high‑tech polymers, transforming raw materials into a honeycomb‑inspired lattice that’s both breathable and resilient. The entire midsole‑to‑upper structure is printed as one continuous piece, eliminating seams and weak points common in traditional footwear construction.

What’s new in the Climacool Laced isn’t the lattice itself but how it integrates with conventional components. After the printing phase, adidas technicians insert the tongue and feed in standard polyester laces through the 3D‑printed eyelets—materials and steps that lie outside the printer’s remit. This hybrid approach underscores adidas’s willingness to blend cutting‑edge and age‑old shoemaking techniques.

The original Climacool’s single‑piece build offered uniform compression around the foot—comfortable for some, too constricting for others. By reintroducing laces, adidas gives wearers control over tension, catering to a wider variety of foot shapes and girths. Whether you prefer a snug lockdown for a brisk walk or a looser fit for lounging, the Climacool Laced lets you tweak the feel in seconds.

Beyond fit, the lattice structure still excels at airflow and moisture management. 360‑degree breathability means feet stay cool and dry, even on humid days or during light workouts. Early reviewers note that despite the added materials, the shoe remains impressively lightweight and quick‑drying—hallmarks of the Climacool lineage.

adidas has set the price at $160, a $20 premium over the slip‑on version. It’s a small bump for greater versatility, but one that adidas says offsets the extra manufacturing steps and materials involved. Starting July 15, 2025, the Climacool Laced lands in adidas stores, select retailers, and online—though digital shoppers must queue up on the brand’s Confirmed app for an exclusive window.

Interestingly, adidas retains a level of scarcity. Even as the Laced model trickles into shops, you won’t find it on every aisle rack. Instead, the Confirmed platform remains the fastest ticket, echoing how adidas rolled out the slip‑on original back in spring.

The Climacool story isn’t just about comfort or style—it’s a litmus test for the future of shoemaking. adidas has long experimented with additive manufacturing: remember the Futurecraft 4D midsoles back in 2017? The Climacool pushes that labor‑intensive process into a full‑shoe application, proving that high‑tech lattices can survive day‑to‑day wear.

With the Laced variant, adidas demonstrates that 3D printing can be flexible—literally and figuratively. By selectively combining printed and traditional elements, the brand acknowledges current printing limits (like producing supple tongues or durable laces) while setting the stage for future innovations that may one day eliminate all non‑printed parts.