Nike sole for athletes with prosthetic limbs is a significant development

For years now amputee athletes with prosthetic limbs have been resorting to DIY customization for their prosthetic running blades, for example the famous marathoner Sarah Reinertsen. The reason being no shoe company provided such athletes with soles for their prosthetic running blades. But Nike realized this fact and has now come up with a sole which interlocks with their in-house Flex Run Foot. And all this by the way has been under development since 2006 in collaboration with Ossur, as the two teamed up to come up with a sole that interlocks with the Flex Run Foot.

The sole is called as the Nike Sole and is ultra-light weight and the composite outsole glides right onto the Flex Run’s inside. It all is possible due to the nine nylon tabs that grip firmly onto the running blade. According to Nike Innovation Director, Tobie Hatfield before this the amputee athletes had to cut the shoe’s sole and tape them, glue and then apply Velcro on the running blade which however was a killer of style statement, ease of wearing and comfort.

The Nike Sole for this very reason is a sleek and comfort option not to forget because of the Osscur’s carbon fiber running blade which is a combo of four layers of sole. The outsole is inspired from the Nike cofounder Bill Bowerman’s iconic waffle traction design and layer made from recycled Nike Air Bag units. The other layers feature a rubber leash which clings straight onto the tab that enhances the security of the shoe the person is wearing.

This new Nike Sole will now allow amputee athletes to hop onto straight into the shoe and enjoy their time running or simply having a brisk walk. With the Flex Run Shoe they will be able to get going within almost 30 seconds which is a significant development by Nike, I must say.

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