Running Shoe Technologies Tye Lee Tze Podiatrist SMAS Grand Ward Rounds Nov 2018 1 Anatomy of a Running Shoe All Running Shoes Have: • Upper • Midsole - midsole material - cushioning systems - stability components - midfoot stability 3. Outsole 2 Midsole ▪ Materials ▪ Cushioning Systems ▪ Stability component (for stability& motion control shoes) ▪ Midfoot stability (links rearfoot to forefoot) ▪ 3 MIDSOLE MATERIALS 4 Midsole Materials Brand Midsole Materials Adidas Boost, litestrike Brooks DNA Midsole, BioMoGo DNA Mizuno U4iC, U4iCX On Cloud Zero Gravity Foam Reebok Float Foam Saucony SSL EVA 5 Midsole Materials (Adidas) Boost • Created with BASF • Thermoplastic Polyurethane Foam • manufacturing process similar to making dashboards in cars • heat-steams individual pea size foam capsules together. • allegedly outperforms traditional EVA in terms of energy return?, cushioning, durability. • Can withstand more extreme temperature conditions. 6 Midsole Materials (Mizuno) U4iC • EVA midsole compound rides and cushions like Mizuno’s AP+ but 30% lighter. U4iCX • Light EVA midsole compound allegedly providing a more comfortable cushioned ride and higher rebound 7 Midsole Materials (Brooks) DNA Midsole • Polymer Strands linked in chains • Highly Viscous non-newtonian fluid • reacts differently to different forces DNA Amp • Soft naturally expanding foam encapsulated in a skin that resists horizontal expansion. DNA Loft • Blend of EVA, Rubber, & air. • Released 2018 BioMoGo DNA • EVA midsoles that degrades 50x faster than traditional EVA. • 2009 8 Midsole Materials (On Cloud) Zero Gravity Foam • High Grade EVA Midsole 9 Midsole Materials (Reebok) Floatride Run • Made from Pebax (same material used in Nike Vaporfly, Mizuno Wave Plate) • Blown into a foam. Allegedly lighter, more impact resistant, greater energy return. 10 Midsole Materials (Saucony) SSL EVA • Saucony SuperLite EVA 11 CUSHIONING SYSTEMS 12 Cushioning Systems Brand System Adidas Boost Brooks Super DNA Mizuno Cloud Wave, Parallel Wave, Infinity Wave, Fan-Shaped Wave. On Cloud CloudTec Reebok Floatride Saucony ProGrid, Everun 13 Cushioning Systems (Adidas) Boost 14 Cushioning Systems (Mizuno) ▪ 1997 (December) ▪ Wave formed thermoplastic plate inserted in midsole that can “tune” the midsole to the required bending stiffness. Conventional shoe midsoles materials (EVA, PU) are difficult to tune the required stiffness for the whole area of the midsole. ▪ Bending stiffness can be controlled from material properties, thickness, amplitude and wave length. ▪ Wave formed plate can change the deformability of the midsole for each direction ▪ Wave formed plate can change the bending stiffness for each bending direction. 15 Cushioning Systems (Brooks) DNA Midsole DNA Amp DNA Loft 16 Cushioning Systems (On Cloud) CloudTec • Hollowed tubes known as clouds that expand on impact to transfer the vertical forces to the horizontal and then the as the foot goes from heel contact to mid stance and propulsion the clouds tighten for propulsion. • Similar to the Adidas A3 17 Cushioning Systems (Reebok) Floatride Foam • made from Pebax (same material used in Wave & Nike Vaporfly) • blown into foam. • Pebax is lighter, more flexible, more impact resistant, greater energy return and when blown into foam it retains these characteristics. 18 Cushioning Systems (Saucony) PowerGrid • Powerfoam material integrated in the GRID technology. • ProGrid • 20% more responsive than standard EVA GRID ▪ Ground Reaction Inertia Device ▪ Small cassette made up of interwoven Hytrel elastomer that is inserted into a gap hollowed out in the heels ▪ When runner’s heel impacts the interwoven Hytrel strings bend to the shape of the heel absorbing shock. At the same time the midsole compresses. Thus cushioning and stability. ▪ GRID moved to iGRID moved to Active GRID 19 Sound Familiar? The Mizuno Wave base plate absorbs and dissipates impact forces, providing excellent cushioning. On’s intelligent CloudTec® cushioning takes the first heavy blow off the street a full midsole of EVERUN sits between your foot and the ground, for the ultimate in soft landings Floatride Foam has a consistent cell structure that delivers the seamless integration of cushioning and responsiveness 20 STABILITY COMPONENTS 21 Stability Components Brand Stability Adidas Boost Brooks Guide Rails, Rounded Heel Mizuno Fan Shaped Wave On Cloud CloudTec Reebok EVA Support Rim Saucony Dual Density SSL EVA, medial TPU post 22 Stability Components (Adidas) Boost 23 Stability Components (Brooks) Guide Rails 24 Stability Components (Mizuno) Fan Shaped Wave Different Wave heights to provide different stability & cushioning properties. 25 Stability Components (On Cloud) CloudTec 26 Stability Components (Reebok) EVA Support Rim 27 Stability Components (Saucony) Dual Density SSL EVA 28 Midfoot Stability • Midfoot components are needed to link the rear foot to the forefoot and allow normal torsion of the rear foot to occur independently of the forefoot during the gait cycle. • In the past there was emphasis on mid foot stability components eg. DuoTruss, Space Trusstic (Asics), Stability Web (NB), TPU Midfoot Shank (Nike) however now there is less emphasis on these individual components (or at least the names) and more emphasis on the cushioning systems and energy return. 29 Uppers Brand Uppers Adidas Adaptive Primeknit upper, Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP) Brooks Intuitive Fit Knit Mizuno Aero Hug On Cloud V moulded heel, Dual density Sockliner. Reebok Figure 8 Flexweave Saucony Engineered mesh, Iso Fit lacing30 Uppers Many of the uppers comprise of a one piece elasticised sockliner (adaptive knitted upper). Designed to provide a snug fit and move as the foot moves. The preference of these adaptive uppers over the traditional upper is personal. For those with bunions, other foot deformities, and feet that tend to increase in volume during a run these adaptive uppers may not be advantageous as they may cause undue friction. 31 Uppers Many Brands now have an exoskeletal thermoplastic reinforcement either at the heel cup (eg. GeoFit Frame - Adidas), Reebok’s Floatride Run has a thermoplastic cage around the midfoot of the upper, Nike Flywire. 32 Uppers Others use textile placement to provide different areas of support, stretch & flex zones ARAMIS & eg. Adidas Tailored Fibre Placement (TFP), Mizuno AeroHug, TAILORED FIBRE PLACEMENT • Through Aramis research we can identify where runners need support, stretch and flex zones. • With TFP we can be even more specific on a yarn level to influence the yarn properties that provide precise lightweight support. • Like Aramis, TFP technology has been applied in the automotive and aerospace industries and adidas is pioneering this technology with the application to performance footwear. 33 OUTSOLES 34 Outsoles Brand Outsoles Adidas Continental Traction Compound Soles, Transition Stretchweb. Brooks 3D Hex Lugs, Arrow point pattern Mizuno G3 , SensorPoint On Cloud Extended low abrasion rubber pads Reebok Ripple Rubber Outsole Saucony Vibram 35 Outsole (Adidas) Transition StretchWeb STRETCHWEB: allows smoother transitionSTRETCHWEB: as Transition is how the shoe theTransition stretch isweb how isthe very shoe adapts when it is moving. flexibleadapts when it is moving. combined with the Boost - shears on impactallows (when you the land) flexand Stretchweb pointsallows to for the shears on impact (when you land) and Stretchweb allows for the movement and shearing to happen. it uses the energy given from the movement and shearing to happen. it uses the energy given from the runner and puts the energydiffer back intoat thedifferent midsole when areas you transition of runner and puts the energy back into the midsole when you transition through the gait. the foot during propulsion. through the gait. Stretchweb is very flexible like . The flexibility allows for a smoother transition throughoutalso the run provides by providing a lowergreater sole angle medial velocity when Stretchweb is very flexible like . The flexibility allows for a smoother landing. stability as the medial side transition throughout the run by providing a lower sole angle velocity when Through Aramis research we have learned that flex points (when toeing landing. off) are different in everycan runners’ be feet made due to the less varying flexible.different lengths of their toes. The flexibilityThere of is a andstretch Stretchweb weballows esp for the Through Aramis research we have learned that flex points (when toeing runners feet to move naturally and without restriction. off) are different in every runners’ feet due to the varying different lengths Neutral Stable By closing the Stretchwebfordesign women we reduced runners the flexibility on the medial of their toes. The flexibility36 of and Stretchweb allows for the side guiding the foot to provide stability and a smoother transition. runners feet to move naturally and without restriction. Neutral Stable By closing the Stretchweb design we reduced the flexibility on the medial side guiding the foot to provide stability and a smoother transition. Outsole (Brooks) iBR+ • lightweight but durable outsole rubber 3D Hex Lugs 37 Outsole (Mizuno) X-10 • Carbon Rubber compound used for high wear areas SensorPoint • Suspension system that uses studs for added traction. SmoothRide • Grooves on the outsole that ensure a smooth ride. 38 Sound Familiar? On’s patented CloudTec® technology is engineered to deliver a soft landing followed by an explosive take-off. The result? An unbelievably light running sensation. Brooks DNA