Nov 30, 2017 | By Julia
Brooks Running Company has announced it’s teaming up with HP and 3D printed insole manufacturer Superfeet to launch a new line of customized runners: what Brooks is calling the most personalized running footwear ever. Leveraging both HP’s renowned FitStation technology and Brooks’ own Run Signature initiative, the footwear company plans to introduce the first performance running shoe created from customers’ individual biomechanics. The datafied runner will be available through special order through select retail partners starting in June 2018.
“Brooks is committed to providing the fit, feel and ride each runner wants. The ability to give an individual a personalized shoe based on his or her unique biomechanics is a game changer. It is a compelling offering for the runner who is interested in tip-of-the-spear technology and a totally tuned experience,” said Brooks CEO Jim Weber. “As part of our focus on reinventing performance running, we will continue to push the envelope to bring runners innovations that help them uniquely tailor their run.”
As the next evolution of Brooks’ Run Signature philosophy, the new footwear follows the company’s mandate that enhancing comfort and improving performance is best achieved through creating footwear that adapts to each runner’s natural motion path. It’s a high-tech corrective to traditional models that sought to fix a runner’s “flaws,” and one that new partners HP and Superfeet are ready to get behind.
Derived partially from HP’s FitStation, the printing giant’s hardware and software that combines 3D foot scanning, dynamic gait analysis, and foot pressure measurements, the new Brooks’ footwear will incorporate one-of-a-kind digital profiles of each individual, combining personalized fit, biomechanics, and experience.
Beginning with a FitStation analysis, specific requirements for each shoe will be produced by Superfeet’s DESMA polyurethane injection-molding machine. 3D foot scans will determine the proper lasts around which the shoes are built. Afterward, a combination of of variable PU injection, foot pressure measurements, movement analysis of the runner’s joints, and personal preference all come together to create customized midsole requirements and multiple tuned zones. In layman’s terms, each pair of shoe will be as unique as the runner who wears them. All footwear will be produced locally at Superfeet’s headquarters in Ferndale, Washington.
Between the technology and the US manufacturing facilities, Superfeet President and CEO John Rauvola has called the partnership nothing short of momentous. “Not only will it change what people expect from their running experience, it is also an important step in making a positive difference in people’s lives by delivering the best underfoot support possible. This is the beginning of the individualized fit revolution,” Rauvola told press.
He’s not wrong. If the new customized running initiative proves to be as successful as Brooks, HP, and Superfeet anticipate, we can certainly expect to see other footwear companies follow suit.
First unveiled at this year’s Running Event in Austin, Texas, Brooks’ new footwear will roll out to runners in June of 2018 via special order through select retail partners.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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