Despite March Madness Exit, Kansas' Darryn Peterson Unveils 3D-Printed adidas Basketball Shoe

Many headlines regarding Darryn Peterson have to do with his and his Kansas Jayhawks squad's tough loss to St. John's in yesterday's March Madness game. The 19-year-old guard, who had been projected to go first in the upcoming NBA Draft, also got some attention thanks to a new adidas Basketball shoe he helped unveil.

Thus far, the newly-surfaced silhouette hasn't been named by the Three Stripes, but it's possible that the design will carry "4D" nomenclature given it boasts a 3D-printed build akin to running models from the past. The 3D-printed hoops sneaker marks an important step forward for the adidas Basketball team, which has become synonymous with pushing boundaries thanks to the Harden Vol. 10 and Anthony Edwards 2. Off-the-court, the ClimaCool Laced has championed the brand's 3D-printing efforts, showcasing just how versatile the revolutionary manufacturing platform can be.

Peterson's recent footwear of choice was developed through adidas' Project R.A.P. (Radical Athlete Perception), a new platform the brand says is "for creating next-generation sports products through additive manufacturing." The shoe is designed to deliver a bespoke fit not easily-achievable through traditional manufacturing methods. Additionally, cushioning and support can be more finely-tuned to the exact specifications of given athletes.

adidas properly introduced its 3D-printed basketball shoe during Pro Day, its first-ever campus invitation to 14 top NFL prospects. Athletes like Fernando Mendoza, Arvell Reese, and Kenyon Sadiq got to experience the newly-renovated Innovation Lab at the company's North America HQ in Portland, Ore. There, they got to see some of the advancements adidas has made in the world of additive technology as it relates to on-court and on-field performance.

The immersive experience also gave these new partners a glimpse of what joining the adidas Family is like. They join pros the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Micah Parsons, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Jones.

adidas Basketball's 3D-printed shoe is slated to see a public adidas.com launch before 2026 ends.

For more performance footwear, check out the Jordan Brand x Nike Tiempo football shoes.