ASICS Institute of Sport Science | Episode 2 | Continuous Improvement

Can athletic shoes keep evolving? We asked Seigo Nakaya from the Footwear Function Research Department of ASICS Institute of Sport Science this question (and more). ASICS makes advanced shoes that enable athletes to consistently perform at their best. Seigo Nakaya leads research into ASICS shoes’ functional structure, based on biomechanical analysis of human movement. At ISS, one of our important functions is testing the shoe structure to see that it’s performing properly. In particular, ASICS evaluates the structures which support performance enhancement for a sport, its practitioners and the prevention of sport injury. So, what are ASICS Institute of Sport Science’s evaluation frameworks? How are they applied? At ASICS, we need to prove that our new models are better than their predecessors. To do that, the first thing to do is to quantitatively evaluate the shoes. Having a framework for making numerical comparisons is crucial to understand what it means to be the best for athletic shoes—it’s how we demonstrate that the ASICS shoes are actually better. For example, what’s involved in improving the cushioning and making the best cushioned shoes? Which parts of the shoe provide relevant indicators for evaluating the cushioning? To develop shoe designs, it’s important to express people's perceptions and needs in concise numerical terms. For instance, you need lots of cushioning for sports with a high landing impact, but cushioning is less important for sports that involve kick