A while ago there was a buzz about a new wonder material in the world of bike manufacturing. Graphene,
as reported by Tri247, is ‘the world’s strongest material’, it’s ‘harder than diamond’ and it’s bendable.
So it’s an incredibly strong material for bikes, but the designers at inov-8 wondered ’how could it be applied to shoes?’. They teamed up with the University of Manchester and they are now launching a revolutionary world-first in the sports footwear market. inov-8 are the first-ever company to incorporate graphene into running and fitness shoes. As footwear tech goes, this is huge news.
And what will the benefits be to the wearer of the shoes? Laboratory tests have shown that the rubber outsoles of these shoes, new to market in 2018, are stronger, more stretchy and more resistant to wear.
Graphene is the thinnest material on earth and is 200 times stronger than steel. First isolated at The University of Manchester in 2004, it’s the world’s first two-dimensional material at just one-atom thick and has the potential to revolutionise many areas of technology. The scientists who first isolated graphene won the Nobel Prize for physics in 2010 and the University of Manchester has continued to pioneer the use of graphene.
Michael Price, inov-8 product and marketing director, said: “Off-road runners and fitness athletes live at the sporting extreme and need the stickiest outsole grip possible to optimize their performance, be that when running on wet trails or working out in sweaty gyms. For too long, they have had to compromise this need for grip with the knowledge that such rubber wears down quickly.
“Now, utilising the groundbreaking properties of graphene, there is no compromise. The new rubber we have developed with the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester allows us to smash the limits of grip.
“Our lightweight G-Series shoes deliver a combination of traction, stretch and durability never seen before in sports footwear. 2018 will be the year of the world’s toughest grip.”
inov-8 CEO Ian Bailey said: “Product innovation is the number-one priority for our brand. It’s the only way we can compete against the major sports brands. The pioneering collaboration between inov-8 and the The University of Manchester puts us – and Britain – at the forefront of a graphene sports footwear revolution.
“And this is just the start, as the potential of graphene really is limitless. We are so excited to see where this journey will take us.”
Dr Aravind Vijayaraghavan, Reader in Nanomaterials at the University of Manchester, said: “Despite being the thinnest material in the world, graphene is also the strongest, and is 200 times stronger than steel. It’s also extraordinarily flexible, and can be bent, twisted, folded and stretched without incurring any damage.
“When added to the rubber used in inov-8’s G-Series shoes, graphene imparts all its properties, including its strength. Our unique formulation makes these outsoles 50% stronger, 50% more stretchy and 50% more resistant to wear than the corresponding industry standard rubber without graphene.”
“The graphene-enhanced rubber can flex and grip to all surfaces more effectively, without wearing down quickly, providing reliably strong, long-lasting grip.
“This is a revolutionary consumer product that will have a huge impact on the sports footwear market.”
This is such an exciting development and we look forward to seeing and trying out the shoes.
