New technologies and services
Optimising high performance sports footwear for the individual athlete
Expertise
Advanced Manufacturing, Sports Technology, Industrial Design and Ergonomics
A multidisciplinary team of researchers is breaking new ground to develop high performance sports footwear, optimised for the individual athlete. The technologies being developed will contribute to the UK's medal winning prospects in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, with a longer-term goal of bringing personalised sports shoes to the high street.
The Elite to High Street (E2HS) project involves New Balance’s Cumbria-based global manufacturing site and UK Sport. It is underpinned by a advanced manufacturing technique pioneering at Loughborough. High speed sintering is where infra-red energy to sinters small particles of plastic to create precise, complex 3D components without the need for expensive moulds and tooling. This has enabled the team to match the properties of the footwear to the needs of individual athletes which could make the difference between medals won and lost.
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Impact
- Proof that optimised footwear enhances sprint performance
- Patent application to secure a license for a new type of footwear
- New Additive Manufacturing process developed to reduce time and costs
- Study commissioned for New Balance Athletic Shoes by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- USA Society of Manufacturing Engineering Breakthrough Technology Award
- Extensive global media coverage (Times to Cosmpolitan, The BBC to the Discovery Channel)
- Further funding awarded to develop and commercialise the research