Soccer Great Gifted 3D Printed Shoebox

What can you gift a soccer legend that likely has all the comforts and toys he needs? For Adidas, that one-of-a-kind present came in the form of a 3D printed, custom-made shoebox the sneaker giant presented to Lionel Messi to commemorate a special win.

Messi, an internationallly renowned player who recently joined the Inter Miami CF team, received his world-record eighth Ballon d-Or award. Messi is the first active recipient of the annual prize, which is granted by France Football, to hail from the ranks of Major League Soccer. To commemorate the record-setting honor, Adidas commissioned 3D printer maker WASP to create a one-of-its-kind special gift—a 3D printed shoebox containing a custom-made pair of Adidas sneakers.

The 3D printed packaging, produced in nylon carbon, was created using WASP’s 4070 ZX professional 3D printer, a large format model tuned for ultra-precise prints using technical and robust materials, including carbon reinforced PAs.

Adidas tapped WASP to create the special packaging because its professional 3D printers are primed for high-performance technical materials that would allow for versatility for different applications. The challenge was to create a shoebox in the shape of a dodecahedron, a polyhedron with 12 flat faces, that would resemble the look of a soccer ball. The packaging also had to be roomy enough to house a limited edition pair of shoes that Adidas custom designed for Messi as part of their tribute.

3D printing was the best solution for producing the packaging because of the odd-shaped design. The overall model was divided into four portions—the top and bottom halves, the fitting platform for the shoes, and a small cover for the top part.

It took WASP engineers more than 200 hours of non-stop printing time to output the packaging design in nylon carbon using the WASP 4070 ZX. Key to the success of the project was the all-metal double gear extruders found on the WASP 4070 ZX unit, which offered twice the grip and three times the force compared to common extruders. The WASP printer’s patented Vacuum Active Control (VAC) system was also critical as it prevented micro-moves during the print process. The VAC system was also essential for extracting the prints without complications.

After the print process was complete, the team assembled the individual pieces to create the full dodecahedron-shaped box. Each piece had to fit together perfectly in order for the box to function properly, and the top and bottom halves were later connected by a hinge conjunction.

After the shoebox was printed and assembled at WASP’s Italy headquarters, it was shipped to the Adidas team, which presented it directly to Messi at the 2023 Ballon d-Or Ceremony held in Paris.

For a more in-depth look at the custom 3D printed shoebox, watch this video.