Reebok studies field-surface interaction
Reebok and GeneralSports Venue, the US licensee of the AstroTurf brand, are joining forces to study the interaction between athletic footwear and field surfaces for athletes ranging from professionals to amateurs.
The goal of the research is to help improve athletic performance while helping to reduce injury risk by developing better shoes and synthetic sports surfaces. Reebok will spearhead footwear product development while GSV/AstroTurf will focus on synthetic sports turf.
Don Gibadlo, vice president of cleated footwear at Reebok, said: "Instead of studying the interface between the cleats and surfaces already in use, we will be the first to test these products in the conceptual phase, helping us produce innovations that will enhance performance and safety for athletes in field sports at all levels around the world."
The research will be conducted at various venues nationwide, including on a GameDay Grass 3D surface from AstroTurf recently installed at Reebok's global headquarters in Canton, Massachusetts, with state-of-the art equipment for mechanical and biomechanical testing. Until now, most shoe-surface interaction studies have used cleats and surfaces already on the market, focusing almost exclusively on the incidence of injuries as opposed to performance enhancement.
