Product design and development of the Easy-Fit Triathlon Racing Shoe

Abstract

Triathlon is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. The swim-bike-run competition has opened a whole new market in the industry of athletic footwear. In a triathlon, athletes need to make fast transitions from the swim to the bike, then from the bike to the run. Therefore, there is a demand for a triathlon running shoe that is easy and quick to slip on. In this project, the upper portion of a new racing shoe is developed, called the Easy-Fit Triathlon Shoe. It is specially designed with an incredible ease of entry to minimize transition time. A worldwide survey was conducted, and it was found that racing shoe performance features, such as being lightweight and having adequate cushioning, are extremely important to the elite competitive triathlete. Therefore, these features were also integrated into the design of the Easy-Fit Triathlon Shoe. The innovative tongue and heel system expand the shoe opening then tighten the entire shoe efficiently. Collaborative work was done with New Balance, and a prototype was built.