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FLOATING CIRRUS
Effortless stride transitions and
smooth foot landings, gathering inspiration from the shock-absorbing anatomy of a woodpecker's beak.
CONTEXT & INSPIRATION
In 2022 On triathlete Gustav Iden not only won first at the
Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii but also
broke the previous course record by over ten minutes.
The World Athletic regulated shoe stack height at 40mm yet this rule
didn’t apply to full-distance Ironman events...until after this race.
With a time of 2:36:15, Iden also broke the course’s marathon record,
and as of Jan 1, 2023 Iden’s championship winning supershoes
would be considered banned under the new regulations.
DESIGN CONCEPT
The all-round bold silhouette of Gustav's rule-changing, championship winning shoe
serves as a major inspiration for this Floating Cirrus concept shoe
—along with another small detail.
The cloud units at the forefoot seem to ‘float’ just above the rest of the midsole.
Exploring this gap along with the cloud’s configuration could provide
an added element of impact dampening and directional deceleration.
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
A woodpecker can drum its beak against the hard exterior of a tree around
twenty times per second with a deceleration force of about 1000 g’s yet show no signs of
concussion or brain damage. Part of this impressive shock-absorbing ability
is accredited to the unique gap between its upper and lower beak.
Having a slightly longer length, the upper beak contacts the tree first,
bearing the initial impact and dampening the incoming vibrational shock.
It then guides the force rotationally around the skull to further dissipate the energy
—Certain bike helmets operate in a similar manner.
The remaining forces then encounter the lower beak which acts as a second layer of impact absorption,
guiding the shock towards a path of least resistance along its downward-sloped shape
safely away from the skull and brain.
MIDSOLE BIOMIMICRY
Emulating the gap between the upper and lower beaks, the midsole design of this model
lifts the cloud units, leaving a gap beneath each section that aims to
provide multiple points of softened impact within a single foot landing.
Following the principles of the beak's curved shape, the forward leaning curvature of the cloud geometry
then works to provide a shearing motion upon impact, diverting the shock rotationally
in order to soften force loads and provide smooth stride transitions.
THE IMPACT OF VIBRATIONS
The shock loads that occur during foot impact cause intense soft tissue vibrations.
These forces misalign the leg muscles, causing inefficient movement that hinders performance
while prolonged exposure could increase the risk of injury.
Studies have shown that our body's ability to dampen the amplitude of these vibrations weaken as our muscles fatigue.
Applying the woodpecker's ability to attenuate vibrational shock would help
lessen the load our musculoskeletal system takes on in order to mediate these impacts.
The shock absorbing principles of their beak structure have been applied to electronic devices but never to footwear.
In a sport where a 1% difference in performance divides champions and runner-ups,
bold innovations and attention to every detail mean everything.
CREDITS
HARDWARE
Original Prusa i3 MK3S+
SOFTWARE
Rhino
Grasshopper
nTopology
Houdini
Redshift
Adobe Suite
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