Home & Leisure

Dots

The Natural Running Shoe

Natural Running, also known as barefoot or minimal running is a quickly growing phenomenon, regarded as a revolution in the running community. Suitable to runners of all abilities, the technique involves landing lightly on the forefront of the foot rather the striking the ground with the heel.

This allows the mechanics of the foot to absorb the energy from each step. Reliance on running shoes in recent years has caused people to heel strike, which sends a shockwave up to the knee and as a result they are more likely to develop injury. Increased heel cushioning and a thicker sole help prevent injury but take a running gait even further from the efficient natural form.

Making a change to running technique requires considerable effort and training. Dots - the natural running shoe is the answer to the needs of the growing barefoot running community. Its design is driven by the question: 'What if a trainer becomes the trainer?' A shoe that coaches the user by actively feeding back information whilst running and additionally serves as a tool for visualising the runner's unique gait.

Derived through experimental and sustainable thinking, the product is constructed in a different way to current running shoes. This new approach has the benefit of reducing materials, eliminating adhesives and providing a modular platform for easy recyclability. The proposed construction technique is appropriate to use in the broader shoe industry and has the potential to sell to the mainstream market.

The simple efficient construction that has been developed offers the manufacturer a high profit margin. The result would be a range of lightweight comfortable and stylish shoes that are set to become a trend in themselves.

Dots was created by Peter Kuschnigg, Innovation Design Engineering 2011. Inspired by his background in the prosthetic industry, Peter hopes the product demonstrates his deep respect for the elegance and complexity of the human body. A patent application protects several novel features of this shoe and Innovation RCA are seeking to commercialise the product.

For further information contact InnovationRCA