Nike Invents Shoe for Prosthetic Legs, Can Now Sell Shoes to People Without Feet
For years now, we’ve seen athletes with prosthetic running blades break all sorts of boundaries that were previously insurmountable. And now Nike is crossing the final barrier by making a shoe that it can sell to people who have no feet. Snarking aside, the Nike Sole is the missing link for running blade users, providing better grip and a more natural stride length.
Designed to work with the Össur Flex-Run blade, the Sole was a collaborative effort between Nike and triathlete Sarah Reinertsen. Like a normal running shoe, the Sole has an outsole and a midsole, and grips the carbon fiber blade with a material called Aeroply. Nike’s engineers even devised a clever system to secure the Sole to the blade, using an anchor and a rubber strip.
While it’s easy to dismiss this as either a cynical cash-in or an attempt to grab some good publicity, the Sole shows that a level of social acceptance and technological advancement where formerly insurmountable challenges now have consumer-grade solutions. I think we’re getting closer to the future, folks.
(via Gizmodo)
- Here’s a dog with four prosthetic legs
- Running blades are cool, but a thought-controlled bionic hand might be cooler
- Your guide to fictitious prosthetic limbs
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
