Adidas has launched a new running shoe that will help women when they’re hitting the pavement.
The global athletic brand designed the Adidas PureBoost X specifically for women, based on three years of research and testing with hundreds of female athletes.
“Traditionally, running shoes have been men’s shoes that have been adapted for women’s needs,” said Jennifer Thomas, Adidas’s senior director for global brands, running. “This all started with feedback [from female athletes], which was that what they really wanted in a performance running shoe was total innovation and total style without compromising on each of those.”
The shoe has a first-of-its-kind floating arch that provides a supportive feel and adapts to different foot shapes and sizes, as well as different foot strikes. It also features Boost foam capsules in the mid sole, “so you have that ultimate comfort from the very first step,” said Thomas. “The third component is the sleek, flattering and elegant look of the shoe.”
As part of its research, Adidas used Aramis, a motion-capture technology used by Boeing and NASA. With the technology, Adidas was able to see exactly how the female foot moves while it’s in a running motion.
“We can see how the foot changes with every single step, how the skin stretches, where it adapts, and where that movement occurs,” said Thomas. “We discovered that this varies greatly between women with different foot shapes and sizes and different running styles. So we saw a huge opportunity to create a mid-foot design that works in harmony with the foot in movement.”
There’s also a big opportunity for Adidas to reach more women. Thomas said female participation in running has grown exponentially, particularly in the mid-range races, such as 10k’s and half marathons. “We feel that it’s a great opportunity to speak to fitness, to encourage and motivate, and to help these women on their journey for fitness and well being,” she said.
In Canada, PureBoost is being promoted through social media and PR efforts handled by Rock-it Promotions.
