Hurricane-proof sailing shoes tested
Dutch sailors Steven Le Fevre and Steven Krol recently tested their shoes in a wind tunnel to check how hurricane-resistant their footwear was. The duo is preparing for the 2012 Olympics in London and wanted to ensure they could keep their grip at high wind speeds.
The Olympic hopefuls wore their shoes in the German-Dutch Wind (DNW) tunnel in Marknesse, the Netherlands. More usually, the aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft and cars are tested in the DNW-complex; but this time the tunnel tested the Gaastra sailing shoes of the sailors. Mr Le Fevre and Mr Krol remained standing in the tunnel, while windspeeds of up to 133 kilometres per hour (hurricane force) were simulated.
Gaastra International Sportswear, based in Amstelveen, the Netherlands, claims this is the first time its sailing shoes have been tested in a wind tunnel.
“Grip is very important in sailing,” said Mr Krol. “As a team, we take a lot of time for preparation and selection of our materials; certainly when it comes to extreme circumstances.”
“Functionality like grip and non-marking soles are important characteristics of every new shoe collection,” said Mark van der Wal, general manager of Gaastra. “For us it was the opportunity to ask the team, to test the grip of our new shoes in extreme circumstances.”
