Nike collaborated with sprinter Allyson Felix on a pair of spiked shoes that the athlete will wear for the 2016 Summer Olympics competitions in Rio des Janeiro in August.
For the Nike Zoom Superfly Flyknit the company’s sports research lab has gone through extensive scientific analysis using computational design. This data was combined with perception testing by Felix along with additional feedback from her coaches. This allowed them to precisely adatpt the spikes to meet Felix’s specifications and biomechanics.
Nike used Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing technology to produce the prototypes of the spike sole. A total of 30 versions were produced before it exactly met the requirements. 3D printing reduced sampling time from weeks to days. Tony Bignell, VP Footwear Innovation at Nike said: “Our role in the Innovation Kitchen is to invent the future of performance innovation for athletes. We do that with a mission to make athletes better. In this work with Allyson, the product that has been created is making her measurably better. We’re seeing faster times in practice, more efficiency through and exiting the curb as well as unprecedented feedback from Allyson. We cannot wait to see how she performs in the spike throughout the coming months.”
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