Anta launched its "Origins Technology", aiming to explore a new direction for running shoe cushioning through structural design.

36Kr learned that on June 16th, Anta launched a new running shoe technology platform called "ANTA FOLD" at the Shanghai Institute of Innovation and Creative Design, and simultaneously introduced the first running shoe product featuring this technology, the FOLD H1.

Over the past decade, innovation in the sports shoe industry has mainly revolved around materials. From EVA, TPU to high - performance foaming materials like Pebax, major brands have continuously improved shock absorption and rebound performance through midsole material upgrades. In recent years, as the performance of materials approaches its limit, more and more brands are shifting their R & D focus to the field of structural design, hoping to further unlock performance potential through geometric configuration optimization.

Anta's "ANTA FOLD" technology is the latest attempt in this trend.

According to Anta, this project was jointly developed by Anta's Innovation Lab and relevant research teams from the University of Oxford, Tianjin University, and Zhejiang University. Different from traditional shock - absorption methods that rely on the softness or hardness of materials, ANTA FOLD attempts to use specific folding structures to achieve force - induced deformation and energy management, thereby creating a new midsole shock - absorption solution.

Its core concept is derived from Origami Engineering.

As an interdisciplinary field that combines mathematics, materials science, and structural mechanics, Origami Engineering has been widely applied in fields such as aerospace, robotics, and medical devices in recent years. Through specific folding geometric structures, materials can achieve more complex shape changes in a limited space and acquire special mechanical properties.

ANTA H1

Anta has introduced this principle into the design of running shoe midsoles. Through pre - set folding unit structures, the midsole undergoes controllable deformation when subjected to impact, absorbing impact energy while providing support and rebound.

At the launch event, several scholars involved in the project introduced the relevant principles. Among them, a professor from the University of Oxford sincerely shared the development of origami structures in the engineering field, and Professor Chen Yan from Tianjin University introduced its application scenarios in modern industry from the perspective of the combination of origami art and structural mechanics.

At the product level, Anta plans to build an independent technology platform around ANTA FOLD.

The debut FOLD H1 uses the Waterbomb negative Poisson's ratio structure. Negative Poisson's ratio materials expand laterally when stretched and contract synchronously when compressed, which is the opposite of the mechanical characteristics of most traditional materials. This structure has been widely used in research on protective equipment, aerospace structures, and high - performance shock - absorption systems in recent years.

Anta said that the H1 midsole is equipped with 14 negative Poisson's ratio structure units, which can adjust the deformation according to the force changes in different areas of the sole, enhancing stability while providing shock - absorption. It is mainly targeted at daily running and urban commuting scenarios.

In addition to the H1, the ANTA FOLD technology platform will also spawn multiple product directions in the future.

Among them, the product codenamed Z1 will use the Square - Twist structure to focus on improving gait rolling efficiency; the M1 will use the Multi - Layer folding structure to further enhance energy storage and rebound performance, targeting higher - intensity running needs.

From an industry perspective, structural innovation is becoming a new battleground for sports brand technology competition.

In recent years, international brands such as Nike, Adidas, and On have all been trying to break through traditional material limitations through midsole structural design. For example, Nike's Air cushion system is essentially a structural shock - absorption solution; On has established a differentiated technology label with its CloudTec cavity structure; Adidas has also been continuously promoting the R & D of 3D - printed midsoles and grid structures in recent years.

Compared with relying solely on material upgrades, the advantage of structural innovation lies in more precise force control and greater product differentiation. However, at the same time, the R & D threshold is also higher, requiring long - term accumulation of mechanical models, testing systems, and manufacturing process capabilities.

It is worth noting that Anta did not adopt the traditional new product launch form for this event. Instead, with the theme of "Folding Space Physics Class", it combined technical explanations with public science popularization. The event site included academic sharing, round - table discussions, and origami experience sessions, aiming to explain complex structural mechanics principles to consumers in a more intuitive way.

In the international market, Anta held a pre - launch experience event for the FOLD H1 at its flagship store in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, USA on June 13th to promote the new product.

In the past few years, Anta has continuously increased its investment in independent technology platforms. In addition to material systems such as Nitrogen technology, Wormhole technology, and the PG7 midsole, the launch of ANTA FOLD means that its R & D direction is further extending to the field of structural engineering.

For the entire running shoe market, whether this technology can ultimately translate into a product experience that consumers can clearly perceive remains to be verified by the market. However, from the perspective of industry development trends, against the backdrop of the gradual maturity of material innovation, structural innovation is becoming an important direction for the next round of technology competition among sports brands, and ANTA FOLD also provides a new technological exploration sample for domestic sports brands.