Researchers launch sport shoe traction database
Researchers at Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences have put together an online database following a study on sports footwear traction.
The research aimed to show the benefits good traction can have in terms of athletic performance on different terrains, but also the potential injury risks.
The college’s Center for Sports Surface Research tested 30 types of athletic shoe on three surfaces: two natural (Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda grass); and one synthetic (FieldTurf Revolution). The shoes tested came from prominent sports shoe manufacturers including Nike, adidas and Under Armour.
The Center’s manager, Thomas Serensits, comments: “Although a certain level of traction is necessary for optimum athletic performance, previous research has shown that shoe selection can be a factor in lower-extremity injury risk.
“As an athlete accelerates, stops and changes direction, numerous forces are transmitted to the lower extremities. In particular, higher rotational forces may result in increased injuries to the knee and ankle due to the foot becoming ‘entrapped’ in the playing surface during pivoting movements.”
The easy-to-navigate traction database contains traction values, colour-coded tables for easy comparisons between shoes and images of each shoe that was tested. According to Mr Serensits, it will be a useful resource for athletes, trainers and consumers.
The database and other athletic field research is available on the Center's website (http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/ssrc).
