Being a loyal customer has its own rewards. I am what people might call an adventure “junkie’. I love trekking and hiking to places that most people have not heard of, but I enjoy spending a fair share of my time on the basketball courts as well. Since most of my activities involve a lot of walking and running around, I always get the best shoes that would not only protect my feet, but also optimize my performance overall.
For a long time, I have been shopping at Finish Line stores because they keep only the best brands for shoes. Whenever a new line of shoes hits the market, I know that Finish Line will keep them in stock for sure in their 685 operating stores. I also enjoy the discount codes for Finish Line that I can use to get these amazing shoes at a discounted price. Because I have been such a regular customer, over the years I have been invited to participate in several events hosted by Finish Line. These events were usually for charity or conferences on shoes and footwear technology.
I recently attended one of such events, and it turned out to include a comprehensive lecture on several research work carried out by Finish Line with the help of funds offered by DFID, which is a development research organization that offers government grants for individuals and businesses who are involved in research programs. DFID usually operates via the three steps procedure as mentioned below:
- It first focuses on developing new technologies and products which will help revolutionize our lifestyle.
- It identifies the most cost effective method to perform research work while deciding what research strategy might work best and have the biggest impact.
- It helps in forming an educated public opinion in order to ask the fundamental questions necessary for development. This helps in enhancing policy making decisions
At the conference, Finish Line declared that DFID, this development research organization that funds and disseminates development research, had funded the research for Finish Line. More specifically, it had provided it with small business grants to get some top basketball researchers together and start a project to develop science and innovation strategies.
Now this news came as a pleasant surprise to me. I was quite happy with the fact that so much of time and effort is being invested in developing a product that is definitely in high demand all over the world. I remember the famous sports industry analyst Matt Powell talk about how the new generation has grown up wearing nothing but sneakers every day. Recently, videos of Chinese kids playing basketball have gone viral. As per research, about 300 million kids in China wear basketball shoes at all times. There is no doubt that basketball shoes are extremely popular in the 21st century.
In terms of health, basketball shoes have a big role to play. I remember spraining my ankle often when I was young while playing basketball. Eventually my doctor had suggested that I should wear only top quality basketball shoes to avoid fatal accidents. Basketball is a sport that puts a lot of pressure on the lower legs, feet and ankle of the players. We need to accelerate and decelerate quickly, move laterally, sidestep and jump within a matter of seconds to land a shot. We need to stay quick on our feet so as to not lose any precious time. This is why having the best sneakers is important. At the conference, I learned how Finish Line carried out various research projects to understand the foot structure of individual players and their unique court movements in order to come up with suggestions on how to make basketball shoes that are lighter, faster and absolutely strong and supple enough to cushion the impact on the feet. The soles should have just the right amount of friction that would smoothly glide on the court floor instead of tripping or slipping.
I also learnt something new at the Finish Line shoe conference. It is widely believed that the shoe type determines the rate of ankle injury, but research has debunked it as a myth by showing that there is no strong connection between the two. A study was carried out where basketball players were given shoes of 3 types to wear: high top, low-top and high-top with inflated air chambers. After the series of competitions were over, 7 ankle injuries happened where the players were wearing high-top shoes, and only 4 injuries happened for players who were wearing low-top shoes. About 4 cases of injury were reported for players with shoes that were high-top with inflated air chambers.
The conference finally focused on two of the best sports shoes companies- Nike and Adidas. For a long while there has been talks about these companies working on super secretive projects to come up with fascinating basketball shoes which will be technologically advanced with next- gen design and enhanced performance.
The Nike Air technology has been facing a victory streak for decades. The air bubbles are made of polyurethane which saves the shoe from any sort of damage. The air inside the Nike Air Max shoes is actually nitrogen that is kept under a pressure of 25 PSI (or pounds per square inch). These Air bubbles trapped inside the cushion functions in a way that is similar to car tires. They absorb shock and pressure very well, and provide a bouncy cushion to the feet so as to keep them protected and safe. They also help the players to stay flexible and nimble. This technology is a result of Nike’s ongoing research and development.
Recently, Adidas has stolen the spotlight in the sports industry when it released its CrazyLight Boosts and D Rose 5 Boosts in the market. These shoes are meant specifically for basketball and they deliver maximum energy to the players boosting their flexibility and enhancing their performance in the court. The CrazyLight Boost is extremely lightweight and has a ShockWeb overlay to provide maximum strength and comfort. The soft mesh also makes the shoes breathable. The D Rose 5 Boost shoes are made of amazing new-gen cushioning technology that increases the energy return to the feet, thereby helping the players to move faster and better. All top NBA players swear by these, and often talk about the high level of comfort that they feel while playing in these shoes.
The conference held by Finish Line was definitely a success, as it assured the audience that these new shoes would be in store soon. I know that I will be using the finish Line promo codes for a big discount! Innovation and style are the two key elements that help us perform better, and these top research projects carried out by Finish Line with the help of DFID funds make new sports technology achievable.