ASICS Takes Human-Centric Design To Next Level At 2021 Innovation Summit - Launching Two New Shoes, Optimised For The Most Popular Running Styles
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KOBE, Japan, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --
ASICS is today announcing not one but two high-performance running shoes that
take the power of human-centric design to the next level.
In an industry first, the METASPEED(TM)Sky and METASPEED(TM)Edge running shoes
have each been scientifically designed with a distinct type of running style in
mind. The new racing shoes help elite athletes to reach the top of their game,
because they don’t have to adjust their running style to fit the shoe anymore;
instead, ASICS is giving them high-performance shoes that support their running
style.
METASPEED(TM): Taking human-centric design to the next level
METASPEED(TM) Sky and METASPEED(TM) Edge see ASICS set the standard for
human-centric design in 2021.
The unique design story behind the two new shoes centers on a crucial insight
by scientists at the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS). They recognized
that the type of shoes powering the world’s fastest were only favoring one type
of runner - STRIDE runners - those with a long-loping gait with large periods
spent airborne who increase their speed by extending their stride length.
ASICS research however showed that these shoes do not fully support elite
athletes who prefer the second major running style – CADENCE, which features
smaller steps made while hovering over the ground with minimal up and down
motion. Crucially, these runners increase their speed by both extending their
stride length and increasing the number of steps they take per minute.
The sports scientists at the ISS were able to measure that athletes perform
better when running in shoes that are optimized for their running style.
Addressing the challenge, ASICS has created the METASPEED(TM) Sky model for
STRIDE runners and METASPEED(TM) Edge model for those with a CADENCE style -
both specially optimized and proven to improve runner performance for each of
the two major running styles[1].
The launch of METASPEED(TM) Sky and METASPEED(TM) Edge shoes means that runners
will no longer have to adjust their running style to suit the shoe they’re
wearing. With initial tests from ASICS already showing the METASPEED(TM)
innovation could help reduce the number of steps for a runner to finish a
marathon by over 1.2%[2], it will give all elite runners the opportunity to
reach peak performance.
METASPEED(TM) Sky
The METASPEED(TM) Sky racing shoe is designed to help runners go faster by
extending their stride length considerably. Stride-type runners take a longer
stride once they start increasing their speed. Thanks to an energetic FF Blast
Turbo(TM) midsole foam and a propulsive carbon plate, runners wearing these
shoes will be able to conserve more energy while maintaining their pace at the
later stages of the race.
METASPEED(TM) Sky is available from 31 March 2021.
METASPEED(TM) Edge
The METASPEED(TM) Edge racing shoe is designed to help cadence-type runners go
faster by extending their stride length while allowing them to control cadence
more easily. Cadence-type runners increase both cadence and stride as they run
faster. The shoe is built on a different stack height and midsole geometry
using the same components as the METASPEED(TM) Sky. The shoe allows runners to
elongate their stride and conserve more energy while controlling their pace.
METASPEED(TM) Edge is available from 4 June 2021.
The METASPEED(TM) has been developed and tested with some of the world’s top
athletes. Sara Hall tested an early prototype at the 2020 London Marathon and
set a personal best of two hours, 22 minutes and one second, improving her
previous personal best by 15 seconds. Earlier in March 2021, top athletes
Julien Wanders, Sondre Nordstad Moen and Mario Mola announced they have joined
team ASICS and will run in METASPEED(TM)Sky.
Innovation Summit: YOUR LAB, your way
The shoes were unveiled at ASICS’ Innovation Summit 2021 – the brand's annual
showcase of the very pinnacle of new performance sportswear. This year ASICS
hosted its first ever, fully personalized experience, taking guests on an
interactive virtual reality journey through the past, present and future of the
ASICS story and its longstanding commitment to human-centric design. The
experience culminated in the grand reveal of its ground-breaking METASPEED(TM)
innovation - the latest era-defining moment in this journey.
http://www.asics.com/innovationsummit
President & Chief Operating Officer of ASICS, Yasuhito Hirota said: “At ASICS
we are driven by our founding principle: we want to help everyone achieve a
sound mind in a sound body through sport. At the heart of this philosophy is an
unwavering belief in the power of human-centric design to create products that
deliver the perfect balance of peak performance and protection for every kind
of athlete. With the pandemic placing huge restrictions on competitive sport
across the globe, this longstanding obsession of ours has become supercharged
for 2021. This year's Innovation Summit and launch of METASPEED(TM) stands as a
symbol of our continued commitment to help elite athletes achieve their
potential, while cementing ASICS’ status as a pioneer of innovation in the
running sector.”
NOTES FOR EDITOR
1 Based on research conducted by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in
January 2021 which proved that STRIDE runners perform better in METASPEED(TM)
Sky and Cadence runners in METASPEED(TM) Edge.
2 Based on research conducted by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science in
January 2021. Calculation is based on the average number of steps taken by
Stride runners when wearing the METASPEED(TM) Sky shoe over the course of a
marathon compared to ASICS’ previous pinnacle racing shoe, METARACER(TM).
Source: ASICS
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