From Nike Air to Adidas Boost: The Evolution of Athletic Shoe Tech

Adidas unveiled a new midsole foam in Manhattan on Feb. 13 designed to provide runners the greatest energy return of any product created. Gerd Manz, Adidas global senior innovation director, tells PM that the company worked with chemical manufacturer BASF to create a thermoplastic polyurethane foam that outperforms EVA foam in energy return, cushioning, and durability and can withstand more extreme temperature changes (EVA foam is used in nearly 95 percent of all running shoes).

Adidas created a new manufacturing process for the shoe industry?mimicking examples found in automobile manufacturing?that heat-steams the individual pea-size foam capsules together into the sole for its new Boost running shoe, which it planned for public release tomorrow. Manz says the manufacturing process has been used on other materials in the past, but this was akin to Adidas "cooking a leg of lamb instead of a cake."

Yohan Blake, Jamaican track star, says the new energy response is "everything" to him while he runs. The Boost's midsole density remains on par with other shoes but offers more "energy displacement out of the same height," which also gives a runner more cushioning, a combination Manz says wasn't possible until now. Adidas plans to start adding Boost to all its performance running shoes soon, and eventually will phase out EVA foam altogether.

Boost is just the latest in a long history of shoe companies experimenting with advanced materials and designs to make athletic shoes lighter and better. Here's the best of the rest.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/technology/the-evolution-of-athletic-shoe-tech?src=rss

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