Sports

Adidas Springblade running shoes put a spring in your step

Adidas Springblade running shoes put a spring in your step
Adidas recently revealed its new Springblade running shoes, which feature angled elastic blades on the soles
Adidas recently revealed its new Springblade running shoes, which feature angled elastic blades on the soles
View 17 Images
The Adidas Innovation Team (AIT) spent six years developing the Springblade and testing different materials to determine which ones would provide the greatest durability and energy efficiency
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The Adidas Innovation Team (AIT) spent six years developing the Springblade and testing different materials to determine which ones would provide the greatest durability and energy efficiency
The blades are also angled to give a runner greater forward momentum, unlike most running shoes which tend to spring back in a vertical direction
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The blades are also angled to give a runner greater forward momentum, unlike most running shoes which tend to spring back in a vertical direction
The blades may look a bit odd, but each one is shaped and positioned to support a runner during a full stride and use the energy from one step to begin the next
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The blades may look a bit odd, but each one is shaped and positioned to support a runner during a full stride and use the energy from one step to begin the next
Adidas recently revealed its new Springblade running shoes, which feature angled elastic blades on the soles
4/17
Adidas recently revealed its new Springblade running shoes, which feature angled elastic blades on the soles
The blades are the most eye-catching aspect of the Springblades, but the designers have incorporated a few other handy features as well
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The blades are the most eye-catching aspect of the Springblades, but the designers have incorporated a few other handy features as well
In total, each Springblade shoe has 16 blades on the bottom, all set so they quickly compress and release energy, depending on whether any weight is applied
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In total, each Springblade shoe has 16 blades on the bottom, all set so they quickly compress and release energy, depending on whether any weight is applied
The Adidas Springblade shoes are set to hit store shelves starting Aug. 1 at a price of US$180
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The Adidas Springblade shoes are set to hit store shelves starting Aug. 1 at a price of US$180
The top of the shoes are made of flexible materials and designed to hug the wearer's foot, restricting the shoe from sliding around and conserving even more energy
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The top of the shoes are made of flexible materials and designed to hug the wearer's foot, restricting the shoe from sliding around and conserving even more energy
The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe
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The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe
The blades may look a bit odd, but each one is shaped and positioned to support a runner during a full stride and use the energy from one step to begin the next
10/17
The blades may look a bit odd, but each one is shaped and positioned to support a runner during a full stride and use the energy from one step to begin the next
The Adidas Innovation Team (AIT) spent six years developing the Springblade and testing different materials to determine which ones would provide the greatest durability and energy efficiency
11/17
The Adidas Innovation Team (AIT) spent six years developing the Springblade and testing different materials to determine which ones would provide the greatest durability and energy efficiency
The blades are the most eye-catching aspect of the Springblades, but the designers have incorporated a few other handy features as well
12/17
The blades are the most eye-catching aspect of the Springblades, but the designers have incorporated a few other handy features as well
In total, each Springblade shoe has 16 blades on the bottom, all set so they quickly compress and release energy, depending on whether any weight is applied
13/17
In total, each Springblade shoe has 16 blades on the bottom, all set so they quickly compress and release energy, depending on whether any weight is applied
The Adidas Springblade shoes are set to hit store shelves starting Aug. 1 at a price of US$180
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The Adidas Springblade shoes are set to hit store shelves starting Aug. 1 at a price of US$180
The blades are also angled to give a runner greater forward momentum, unlike most running shoes which tend to spring back in a vertical direction
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The blades are also angled to give a runner greater forward momentum, unlike most running shoes which tend to spring back in a vertical direction
The top of the shoes are made of flexible materials and designed to hug the wearer's foot, restricting the shoe from sliding around and conserving even more energy
16/17
The top of the shoes are made of flexible materials and designed to hug the wearer's foot, restricting the shoe from sliding around and conserving even more energy
The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe
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The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe
View gallery - 17 images

Athletes are always looking for equipment that can give them an edge, and for runners, that means shoes that can launch them ahead with minimal energy. In the past, most shoe companies have produced shoes with flexible mid-soles that help the wearer push off of the ground more easily, but some recent footwear from Adidas might take that concept to a new level. The aptly-named Adidas Springblade uses angled elastic blades on the soles to quickly propel the wearer forward as if they had springs on their feet.

The Adidas Innovation Team (AIT) spent six years developing the Springblade and testing different materials to determine which ones would provide the greatest durability and energy efficiency. The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe.

In total, each Springblade shoe has 16 blades on the bottom, all set so they quickly compress and release energy, depending on whether any weight is applied. They may look a bit odd, but each one is shaped and positioned to support a runner during a full stride and use the energy from one step to begin the next. They're also angled to give a runner greater forward momentum, unlike most running shoes which tend to spring back in a vertical direction.

The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe
The design team drew inspiration from other athletic equipment, like springboards and pole vaults, and applied those concepts to a running shoe

The blades are the most eye-catching aspect of the Springblades, but the designers have incorporated a few other handy features as well. The top of the shoes are made of flexible materials and designed to hug the wearer's foot, restricting the shoe from sliding around and conserving even more energy. According to the company, the polymers used in the Springblade also provide seven times the temperature resistance of a shoe built with regular EVA cushioning.

The Springblade is certainly an unusual-looking shoe, but that same unconventional design might just provide a seasoned runner with the extra boost they're after.

The Adidas Springblade shoes are set to hit store shelves starting August 1st at a price of US$180.

Source: Adidas

View gallery - 17 images
6 comments
6 comments
Τριαντάφυλλος Καραγιάννης
Just hope you don't accidentally step into mud wearing them...
Don Duncan
"...as if they had springs..." I bought a pair of walking/running shoes 3 years ago for $150 that do have springs. You can get them on sale for around $110. I researched first and Spira seemed to be the best made, with a lifetime spring.
Bruce H. Anderson
I bet people who are on their feet the whole day will like these. Springyness from heel to toe!
Gregg Eshelman
I bet not available in a shape for people with narrow heels, a wide forefoot, big toe their longest toe and a little toe placed further forward.
In other words, duck feet. My biological inheritance from my native American maternal 2x great grandmother.
The only shoes made that fit me without cramming my toes are big work boots, usually with steel toes. Get them wide enough to prevent nastiness like ingrown toenails and the heels are too wide.
When will we have truly custom fitted shoes that aren't all designed for people with practically vestigial little toes?
I want to stick my feet in a scanner then some time later have shoes made to fit *my* feet, not some always incorrect increment of patterns for "typical" feet shapes.
Paying big $$$ to a cobbler (and just try and find one of those these days!) would result in properly fitted shoes - if the cobbler can work outside the box of standard pattern shapes.
windykites
I can think of stepping in something worse than mud! Yuk! Imagine trying to clean them.
Bryce Guenther
"Catch" 22 when walking or running backwards!