During the design and development of the latest sports shoes, Engineers and Researchers need to investigate the impact and rebound performance of different materials and structures. In addition to normal everyday uses, extreme sports activities such as basketball, skateboarding, or running are placing an even more challenging demands on today’s athletic footwear that can result in impact forces at more than 10 times body-weight. Manufacturers are under pressure to develop new sports shoe designs with advanced air cushioning, gel-filled capsules, or complex sole structures that offer superior technical performance.

In addition to performing tests to ASTM F1614 "Standard Test Method for Shock Attenuating Properties of Materials Systems for Athletic Footwear”, our  Test Instruments provide flexibility to test other criteria. This includes evaluating the energy returned by a shoe during impact, the amount of cushioning provided by different shoe and sole designs, and the long-term fatigue behavior of the shoe.