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AbstractA small UK entrepreneurial organisation has designed and successfully tested a new type of shoe that protects runners from harmful repetitive impact on the heel. The design has been developed to reduce the initial increase in impact force during the foot strike. The developer is seeking partnerships for the exploitation of this novel footwear through licensing agreements.DetailsRunning is beneficial for health but the high impact forces during heel strike contribute to a high injury rate amongst runners. Landing on the heels during running and jumping is associated with high vertical impact forces.A new shoe has been developed to reduce the initial increase in impact force during the foot strike. The shoe is a shoe without a heel, but with a slanted sole, force transmission, force distribution and sense enhancement features, which allow the runner to avoid heel contact. The novel features ensure that the shock during every running step is greatly reduced and therefore the injury risk is reduced. The slant sole ensures that the heel bone is decelerated over a greater distance. The shock absorbing material below the shock plate ensures that the impact force on foot strike is greatly reduced. The shoe gives the runner and jogger the feeling of “running with a bounce, not with a bang”. Innovative Aspects: A unique and innovative design offering the latest ergonomic features. Running step is greatly reduced and impact of foot strike is thereby reduced. The shoe has a slanted sole and the force transission and force redistribution eradicate harmful impacts on heel.
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