[Paris, 13th May 2020] Today, at a virtual ceremony in Paris, ASICS was announced the winner of the JEC World Composites Innovation Awards in the Sports and Health care category. The prestigious award was granted by an international jury for the advanced molding technology behind ASICS new spikeless track shoe, METASPRINT™, designed to improve speed over short distance.
The new CFRTP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics) technology was developed by scientists at ASICS Institute of Sport Science in Kobe. In collaboration with a close team of cross-industry partners, they discovered a new usage for composite materials to advance track shoe development.
Traditionally, sprinters have relied on spikes to gain traction. However, by using the new CFRTP manufacturing technology to mold the sole of the METASPRINT™, ASICS have revolutionized what a track shoe can look like. The new honeycombed carbon fiber outsole removes the spikes to make the traction of the shoe to the track more efficient, so sprinters are able to exert higher propulsion with every step.
Over short distances, where every millisecond saved count, the METASPRINT™ shoe has been shown to improve speed. Tests conducted [1] by ASICS Institute of Sport Science showed that with this technology, runners were able to go up to 0.048 seconds faster over a 100m sprint.
Commenting on the importance of the new technology for the future of ASICS and the sports industry Kenichi Harano - Executive Officer, Senior General Manager, ASICS Institute of Sport Science, says: “CFRTP composite material has been studied by various industries for its very resilient and light qualities. On behalf of ASICS and our close cross-industry partners, we are delighted to be able to accept such a prestigious award and bring this technology to the sports industry. Not only can it help athlete performance, but it can also improve sustainability. The manufacturing method of this technology allows recycling of the unused fragments, thus reducing the waste.
At ASICS it is our mission to create intelligent sports technology that both protects and supports athletes of all abilities to perform at their best. We are committed to continue our effort to develop sustainable, high-quality technologies like this one for the applications of wider sports usage including footwear and other equipment.”
[1] Research conducted by ASICS Institute of Sport Science, Kobe, Japan, February 2020 against traditional spikes, showed how sprinters could power forward on average an extra 6.67cm per second when wearing METASPRINT which translates to nearly 500ths of a second [0.048 seconds] over 100m.