Supporting a uK SucceSS Story: The impacT of - Research Councils ...

DESIGN
Design is an essential part of the equipment
used by athletes. This can include a car, boat
or bobsleigh as well as a shoe, ball, javelin
or swimsuit. If you look back in history the
design of sporting equipment has changed
dramatically to help improve performance
and limit the amount of physical stress on
an athlete’s body. The formula one car is
an example as well as the more humble
tennis racket. Design works in parallel with
technology to help give athletes that split
second or millimetre advantage over their
competitor and in an age when the margins
for success are getting smaller, this is more
important than ever.
Shoes and suits
“Swimming is
a multi-billion
pound industry,
ranging from
elite performance
products to a
lifestyle market
that includes
anything you
would wear in or
around water.”
In 2006 Prior Level 2 (P2L), an interdisciplinary design
partnerships between staff at London College of Fashion,
Loughborough University Rapid Manufacture Research Group
and EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems, launched the world’s
first bespoke performance football boot ‘assassin’. Each boot is
sculpted to the individual’s foot and the outsole is designed upon
the individual’s foot dimensions and unique walking/running style.
The upper can be manipulated using sophisticated technology
to adapt colour, appearance and function to the athlete’s needs.
P2L’s system utilises a biomechanically optimised outsole (the
base of the boot) that supports, controls and conserves the
player’s musculoskeletal system. Individually positioned studs
based on the athlete’s foot structure minimise peak forces on
the foot whilst walking, running and sprinting. P2L develops
relationships with players on an individual basis to help reduce
injuries, improve comfort and performance over their entire career.
Researchers at Birmingham City University are also concerned
with the design of athlete’s shoes, but in contrast to the design at
P2L, they are looking into the aerodynamics of the running shoe.
The researchers are interested in both the upper shoe design
and the overall composition of the frontal aspects of the shoe.
Previous research suggested that the orientation of the foot in a
middle or long distance running has an important effect on drag
and may have an impact on the energy consumption of long
distance runners. This new research aims to discover if this is the
case and how design of a shoe to make it more aerodynamic can
aid a runner’s performance.
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SECTION THREE : DESIGN