During Nike’s recent Nature Amplified summit at their Beaverton, OR headquarters, we were presented with a series of innovations that comprise the next palette for product development from the sportswear giant. A visit to the Nike Sports Research Lab meant a deep…
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American sports brand Nike has released a stripped-down running shoe that is designed to allow athletes to feel and respond to the ground beneath them as they would in bare feet.
The Nike Free Hyperfeel is the latest shoe to feature Nike’s Flyknit technology, where the upper is knitted in one piece and fits the foot like a sock, but has a lower profile with less cushioning than previous shoes in the Flyknit range.
The rubber outsole on the bottom of the shoe is just 0.7 millimetres thick, substantial enough to provide protection from sharp objects underfoot without reducing flexibility or responsiveness.
The raised squares on the bottom of the outsole provide grip, but are also designed to act like pistons, increasing the feedback the runner gets from variations in the surface they are running on.
“We’re trying to make a shoe that is just an extension of your foot”, Tony Bignell, vice president of Nike Footwear Innovation, told Dezeen at the worldwide launch of the product in Portland, Oregon. “It’s designed to amplify what the foot is already doing.”
The combination of the knitted upper and thin sole also make the shoe very light. A size 10 weighs just 180g.
“When you talk to athletes and say: “What do you want the shoe to feel like when it’s on your foot?” Most athletes will look at you and say: “actually, I don’t want it to feel like anything,” said Bignell.
Cushioning is provided by an insole made from Lunarlon, the sports brand’s proprietary shock-absorbing foam, which slips inside the shoe.
“The Nike Free Hyperfeel is really designed for runners that are looking for a barefoot sensation but with a comfortable ride,” Bignell explained. “We’re always trying to strike a balance between protection, which is important, and also sensation.”
Here are some more details from Nike:
The Nike Free Hyperfeel is created to intuitively move with the foot. It is inspired by Nike’s “Nature Amplified” design ethos — an approach focused on the body in motion and fueled by scientific data and athlete insights.
Research insights informed the precise placement of cushioning and outsole traction for a low-profile shoe that provides padding and protection only where necessary. A drop-in Lunarlon insole with flex grooves allows the foot to have direct contact with the Lunarlon cushioning. The waffle outsole is ultra-thin, allowing the foot to get closer to the ground.
Scientists in the Nike Sport Research Lab carefully studied which areas of the foot come into contact with the ground and absorb pressure, and which areas require traction. They used pressure-mapping technology and high-speed film to analyze the foot in motion.
The result is Nike Free Hyperfeel, a shoe that mimics the intricate workings of the human foot: Lunarlon foam replicates cushioned pads under the foot. The outsole protects like hardened skin on the sole. Dynamic Flywire flexes and contracts, inspired by ligaments.
The Nike Free Hyperfeel ($175) will be at retail in the US, UK and Japan beginning 5 September.
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shoe by Nike appeared first on Dezeen.
Sportswear brand Reebok has launched a range of running shoes that shrink to fit the wearer’s foot when heated with a hairdryer.
Reebok‘s RealFlex U-FORM+ shoe is heated with a hairdryer for two minutes until the logo on the back turns from black to red. The hot shoe is then laced tightly around the foot and left to cool for two minutes while the wearer sits still.
A synthetic mesh layer inside the upper shrinks as it cools to mould exactly to the contours of the skin, starting in the middle of the foot and wrapping around the heel.
The material replaces normal lining in the shoe so it doesn’t add any extra weight and perforations in the mesh mean it’s breathable. Reebok says the shoes can be reheated and reformed many times over without losing effectiveness.
“For top athletes we make custom-formed shoes,” says Bill McInnis, head of Reebok Advanced Concepts. “With U-FORM+ we’re going to do that for everyone.”
Other innovative sports shoes on Dezeen include trainers with criss-crossing bands inspired by Chinese finger traps, football boots with 3D-printed studs and shoes with cables round them that tighten on impact.
See all our stories about shoes »
See all our stories about sportswear »
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by Reebok appeared first on Dezeen.
Nike apre alla stagione estiva con questo Air Max Engineered Mesh pack. I modelli di Air Max 1, Air Max 90, Air Max 95 and Air Max 97 vestiranno questa tomaia sfumata Sunset stile Ghiacciolo-Barcellona. In pre-ordine su End.
The criss-crossing bands of these running shoes by Nike are inspired by a Chinese finger trap.
The Nike Free Trainer 5.0 has an upper made of soft intertwined bands over breathable mesh fabric.
When the foot is moving forwards or backwards or at rest, the bands stay flexible, but when pressure is applied from side to side, the bands tighten like a finger trap to provide extra support.
We recently featured another design inspired by the finger trap – a collection of leather handbags with clamping woven handles.
We’ve featured lots of other Nike technology on Dezeen, including American football boots with 3D-printed studs and the spike pads worn by Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius – see all design by Nike.
Other sportswear we’ve published include running shoes with cables that tighten on impact and a speedsuit designed to reduce drag – see all sportswear.
Here’s some more information from Nike:
Adaptability is key to effective training. Scheduling, weather, location and coaching are constantly changing. Nike is focused on providing one constant – the best shoe for multi-sport training.
Designed as one of the most versatile training shoes, the men’s Nike Free Trainer 5.0 delivers lightweight comfort and supportive lockdown with a distinctive look for training in the gym, field or street.
Athletes must adapt to the ever-changing factors in training and evolving training footwear is no different. Nike designers are committed to constantly improving footwear to allow athletes to perform at their best. The evolved approach to maximising the support and natural motion intuitive to training comes to life in the Nike Free Trainer 5.0.
While the woven upper has an eye-catching aesthetic, the shoe’s high-performance aptitude sets it apart. The dynamic fit moves with, adjusts to and supports the foot during the rigours of training.
Designers Laura Parrett and Jeff Rasmussen took inspiration from the Chinese finger trap device. Like the toy, the upper consists of intertwined bands that are soft and pliable. When the foot is at rest or moving forward or backward the bands are flexible and compliant. When pressure is applied with side-to-side movements the bands engage and tighten around the foot for enhanced support.
Three performance benefits distinguish the Nike Free Trainer 5.0:
– Dynamic-fit technology for a glove-like fit
– Natural motion design to deliver a barefoot-like feel with resilient cushioning
– Aggressive rubber nodes on the sole that provide multi-surface traction
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by Nike appeared first on Dezeen.
Sports brand Nike has unveiled the first boots for American football players with 3D-printed studs (+ slideshow).
Nike’s Vapor Laser Talon boots are fitted with a footplate made by selective laser sintering, a process that uses lasers to fuse small particles of material together.
With laser sintering, Nike’s designers were able to prototype the boots much faster than usual and make updates as they went along. In future, boots could be individually shaped for each player.
The 3D-printed footplate also makes the boot extremely light, weighing in at 158 grams, and improves traction on the turf to help players run faster. According to the sportswear company, the boots can markedly improve a player’s “40-yard dash” time – the standard measure used by scouts to assess speed and ability.
We’ve published lots of Nike shoes featuring the latest sports technology, including the spike pads worn by Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius and football boots partly made from castor beans – see all Nike design.
We’ve also been reporting on the rise of 3D printing, recently featuring proposals to print a lunar base with moon dust and an interview with a designer who wants to 3D print a house – see all 3D printing news.
Here’s more information from Nike:
The quest for acceleration and speed has long been the north star for athletes across sport, and in order to excel in the game of football, the mastery of these skills is seen in the 40-yard dash. Played out on a national stage in Indianapolis, pro scouts clock 40-yard dash times in order to assess and translate these measurements to a football athlete’s game-time ability.
Today, Nike Football debuted the Nike Vapor Laser Talon with a revolutionary 3D printed plate that will help football athletes perform at their best. In a version built to master the 40, the Nike Vapor Laser Talon weighs a mere 5.6 oz. and is specifically designed to provide optimal traction on football turf and to help athletes maintain their “drive stance” longer.
With more than 40 years of athlete insights and innovation across sport, Nike designers worked with elite trainers within Nike SPARQ as well as long time partner and gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson to understand how he and his team at Michael Johnson Performance train football athletes for the 40. According to MJP Performance Director, Lance Walker, an athlete’s “Zero Step” is a pivotal point that can make or break an athlete’s 40 time. In the moments before that first step hits the turf, his propulsion and acceleration speed are determined. At that point, it’s all about geometry.
“Nike’s new 3D printed plate is contoured to allow football athletes to maintain their drive position longer and more efficiently, helping them accelerate faster through the critical first 10 yards of the 40,” said Johnson. “Translated to the game of football, mastering the Zero Step can mean the difference between a defensive lineman sacking the quarterback or getting blocked.”
The plate of the cleat is crafted using Selective Laser Sintering technology (SLS). It is the sport’s first 3D-printed plate. SLS is a manufacturing technique that uses high-powered lasers to fuse small particles of materials into a three-dimentional shape. Through proprietary material selection, Nike was able to prototype a fully functional plate and traction system within a fraction of the traditional timeframe and at a fraction of the weight. The SLS process allows for the engineering and creation of shapes not possible in traditional manufacturing processes. It also provides the ability to make design updates within hours instead of months to truly accelerate the innovation process to never seen speeds.
“SLS technology has revolutionized the way we design cleat plates – even beyond football – and gives Nike the ability to create solutions that were not possible within the constraints of traditional manufacturing processes,” said Shane Kohatsu, Director of Nike Footwear Innovation.
The way athletes train continues to evolve, and Nike continues to push the boundaries of innovation even further. By listening to the voice of the athlete, Nike is able to evolve footwear, apparel and equipment to help athletes achieve their highest potential.
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football boot studs appeared first on Dezeen.
The first tailor-made 3D printed seats for wheelchair basketball are being used by competitors at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Developed by Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Institute alongside UK Sport, the seats are individually moulded each player’s body.
The customised seats consist of foam interiors and plastic shells, and are a kilogram lighter than conventional wheelchair basketball seats.
Participating athletes had 3D body scans to capture their movements and positions in their existing wheelchairs, then CAD technology was used to shape the outer layer of the seat to suit each individual player and help position the seat onto the frame. The seats were then built up layer by layer using selective laser sintering to accurately replicate the computer models. Four men and four women will use the seats at this year’s Paralympic Games.
The wheelchair basketball finals take place on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 September at the Basketball Arena and the North Greenwich Arena.
We’ve also featured wheelchairs designed to withstand heavy impacts for rugby and to be fast and lightweight for racing. See all our stories about design for Paralympic athletes »
Here is some more information from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council:
Innovative tailor-made seats will be used for the first time by Paralympics GB for the wheelchair basketball events this summer.
Using cutting-edge research the seats are individually moulded for each player to provide the best possible support. They will help the athletes to improve their speed, acceleration and manoeuvrability around the court.
The seats have been developed with UK Sport funding at Loughborough University’s Sports Technology Institute, which is supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The new seats are revolutionary because they take the individual’s size, shape and particular disability into account. For example, a player with a spinal cord injury will have a seat that provides additional support around their lower back.
Harnessing a range of cutting-edge design and manufacturing techniques and developed in close consultation with the British men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams, these customised seats consist of a foam interior and a plastic shell. They are simply clamped onto the current wheelchair design in which the frames are already made to measure for the players.
You can find out more about the research from the team involved in an audio slide show.
“Within any wheelchair basketball team, both the nature and the extent of the players’ physical abilities vary considerably,” says Dr Gavin Williams, who has led the project.
“Traditionally players have had a very limited choice of seat designs and a tailor-made approach was not possible. The new seats, which include part of the back rest, are made specifically to accommodate each individual’s needs”.
Team members initially underwent 3D scans to capture their bodies’ biomechanical movements and their positions in their existing wheelchairs.
The seats are made up using cutting-edge design and manufacturing techniques
A moulding bag containing small polystyrene balls (similar to a bean bag style seat), was used to capture the shape of the player when seated. The seat was then made up by hand.
Computer-aided design (CAD) capabilities were then used to refine the shape of the outer layer of the seat to suit each individual player and help position the seat onto the frame.
Using this prototype the next stage involved quickly producing copies of each individual seat so that they could be further tested and amended if necessary following feedback. For this speedy production an additive manufacturing technique called selective laser sintering (otherwise known as 3D printing) was used to build up each seat layer by layer. This resulted in a final product that exactly replicated what was on the computer screen.
This is the first time anywhere in the world that these existing techniques have been harnessed together to produce a sports wheelchair seat.
Improvements in speed, acceleration and manoeuvrability for the players were achieved.
“The sprint tests, for instance, showed that the new seats enabled the athletes to shave tenths of a second off their best times,” says Dr Williams. “That represents a huge improvement in a player’s ability to reach the ball and move around the court.
The seats save a kilo of weight with the overall chair being two kilos lighter than the chairs that were used in Beijing because of other modifications to the chair itself.
“The advances we’ve made also have the potential to feed into improved seat design for wheelchair users in general,” says Dr Williams. “In particular, bespoke seats could reduce the problems with pressure sores currently experienced by a great number of wheelchair users.”
In total 8 players, four men and four women will be using the new seats at the Paralympics this year.
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for wheelchair basketball appeared first on Dezeen.
Athletes without the use of their lower body use cycles propelled by hand pedals in the road cycling events at the London 2012 Paralympics.
The tricycles sit low to the ground with one wheel at the front and two at the back to aid stability, and possible seating positions include sitting, kneeling or lying.
Custom knee/seat buckets are included in the Kneeler models used by the most able-bodied athletes, while Para Kneeler cycles designed for athletes with paraplegia have custom cages and adjustable kneel upholstery.
The pictured handcycles by Top End have frames built from reinforced aluminium and wheels made of carbon fibre.
Road cycling at the London 2012 Paralympics takes place at Brands Hatch, with time trials on Wednesday 5 September and races on Friday 7 September.
See all our stories about design for Paralympic athletes »
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competitive handcycles appeared first on Dezeen.
Chairs used in the wheelchair rugby event at the London 2012 Paralympics are designed to withstand heavy impacts and be easily manoeuvrable.
Above and top images by Channel 4
Also known as ‘murderball’, the full-contact sport requires equipment that is incredibly durable and can endure constant bombardment, as well as being light, fast and agile.
Above image by Channel 4
A bumper designed to help strike and hold opponents is attached to the front of the chairs.
Above image by Channel 4
Wings are positioned in front of the main wheels to make the wheelchair more difficult to stop and hold.
The wheels are covered by spoke protectors to prevent damage during collisions, and all chairs include an anti-tip device at the back.
Wheelchair rugby takes place on Wednesday 5 September in the Basketball Arena at the Olympic Park.
See all our stories about design for Paralympic athletes »
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wheelchair rugby appeared first on Dezeen.
Stabilising pontoons and specially designed seats are just some of the modifications that can be made to equipment used by rowers at the London 2012 Paralympics.
The hulls of the adaptive boats are identical to those used by able-bodied athletes, apart from the single scull that is wider.
Pontoons or floats may be fixed to the riggers to help athletes who can’t use the full lower body to balance the boats.
Seats in an adaptive single are high-backed and fixed into position to support the lower and upper back while in a double the seat is slightly lower backed to allow for trunk movement but is still fixed.
Rowers are restrained by velcro straps that allow for easy release in case of a capsize.
Athletes classified as visually impaired wear masks that cut out all light whilst on the water.
The Paralympic rowing finals take place at Eton Dorney on Sunday 2 September.
As part of a series of stories about Paralympic design we’ve also featured the Nike Spike Pad worn by Oscar Pistorius and racing wheelchairs used by David Weir and Shelly Wood at the games, and you can see all our stories about London 2012 here.
Here is some more information from British Rowing:
Equipment
Adaptive rowing challenges barriers to participation in the sport for individuals with learning, physical and sensory impairments, by providing opportunities supported by a range of technical and coaching resources.
Often you will find that there will be no need to fork out hundreds of pounds for new boats – it is possible to row in a normal boat with some of the following equipment and adaptions that are inexpensive and easy to use:
Boats
The hull of the adaptive boat is identical to able-bodied boats (with the exception of the single scull, which is a wider boat). In the Paralympics, all boats are standard boats, though in normal international adaptive rowing the LTA4+ is allowed to be slightly different. Stabilising pontoons (floats) may be fixed to the riggers of all the boats except the LTA4+.
Seats and straps
Seats in an adaptive double or single are different to the seats in an able-bodied boat (the seats in the LTA4+ are the same). In the single, a high-backed seat is used and fixed into position to support the lower and upper back. The rower is strapped to this seat to prevent trunk movement. In the double, the seat is slightly lower backed to allow for trunk movement but is still fixed.
Seats are also available to fit indoor rowing machines. Clamps can fix seats into a stable position and various protectors (such as gel protectors) will ensure there are no injuries caused by the fixed seats.
Gloves
To help athletes with limited hand function, gloves are available which help the athlete grip a blade or handle. These can be used in both indoor and on water rowing.
Restraints
Velcro restraints are used in racing to ensure that there is no leg or trunk movement as appropriate. These are always fixed with velcro so in the event of a capsize athletes can quickly remove the restraints. They can also be used in indoor rowing and outside racing to give increased support whilst using a seat.
Masks
To help ensure a fair and level playing field, athletes classified as visually impaired must wear a mask whilst on the water. This mask must cut out all light.
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adaptive rowing equipment appeared first on Dezeen.
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