E.V.A, THE BEGINNING OF THE END? THE PRECURSORS

2008 and 2012 are two important years in our sporting-good industry, Because these are first of all Olympic years. 

Secondly, every Olympic year unveils methods and innovations dedicated to the higher sport venue. 

In our Microscope, these two years are marking the rise of the precursors of the EVA replacement.

Brooks sports and NIKE are the ball opener in 2008, Scott and Adidas are the ride experience provider of the year 2012. See below, their story and promises. 

2008 Brooks Sports, Inc. announced that BioMoGo, the world’s first biodegradable midsole, is now available to consumers in the new Trance™ 8 premium support shoe. 

Brooks designed BioMoGo to biodegrade 50 times faster than conventional athletic shoe midsoles, making it one of the most significant sustainable technologies.   

 

later in 2012, Brooks created DNA, an innovative and uniquely adaptive cushioning system. By adapting to specific weight, pace, gait and running surface, DNA is promised to offer customized cushioning and adds a spring to runners steps.

Traditional cushioning takes a one-size-fits-all approach, but people at Brooks claim to know that each runner is different. Brooks DNA was developed to continuously tailor the level of cushioning to runners specific needs – even as they change during the run.

Brooks DNA is made up of a highly viscous non-Newtonian material or more simply put, a material that adapts to the specific force runners apply to it. 

Part of the brilliance is that this compound was engineered to perform at the molecular level (picture millions of resilient 'nanosprings').

2008 NIKE Lunarlon cushioning features a soft, yet resilient, foam core that is encased within a supportive foam carrier for lightweight, ultra-plush cushioning, springy response and support.

The innovative Lunarlon foam, invented by Nike, is 30 percent lighter than traditional Phylon and allows the force of impact to be more evenly distributed, which helps reduce painful pressure points on feet.

With Brooks and Nike technologies, I confess, it is hard for specialists, maybe real hard to consumer to distinguish a difference in between traditional compress molded EVA (Brooks case) or injected EVA (Nike case). 

There is certainly a felt experience with the softer encapsulated but invisible Lunar foam, while Brooks teases us with our ecologic awareness more than direct experience with a dramatic change of technical/physical product behavior.

I don't know if Adidas spotted the early weaknesses of his competitors?

But this simple close up of the Boost foam, visible, palpable, makes a courageous difference.

December 2012, Adidas claims the Boost TPU midsole has many benefits over the traditional EVA technology. 

EVA is a responsive material that compresses with each step and rebounds to return energy to the foot. 

Over time, EVA can wear down, requiring the runner to invest in a new pair of shoes

Boost technology eliminates this problem with thousands of energy capsules that store and release energy only when it’s needed— without losing integrity.

Boost technology eliminates another problem. your winter and summer runs have an incredible effect on traditional EVA, the colder the tougher, the hotter, the softer. 

With its formula, boost guarantee a similar ride.

I spent over 16 years of duty, a certain amount of time middle cutting shoe midsoles, wondering about constructions and additive cushioning systems. 

I always wondered how a runner can really benefit from the promises of performance given by the brands? 

before being in contact with the star compound,  I realized the numbers of fine layers you need to endure before being in contact to THE Promise. 

Bonding surfaces included, an average 100 $ shoe has 7 material layers over the midsole. This Picture tells how Adidas engineers paid another attention to increase as much as possible the closer contact to the foot. 

December 2012, Working with athletes, Scott always hear that they would like to run in lighter shoes, but are not willing to sacrifice any cushioning performance. 

So, they, (Together with I-Generator: engineering and design firm in Portland OR) found an alternative to the EVA foam used in most running shoes. 

SCOTT Aero Foam combines lightweight materials with a wear resistant compound, resulting in shoes that are lighter, have more cushioning and last longer than traditional running shoes. 

Again, I point out the difference in visible and tactile sensation compare to traditional EVA including outer surfaces of the Nike Lunar or Brooks latest DNA/BioMoGo foams. 

Scott Precursive Stance is valuable, the 2013 Kinabalu has been a very surprising ride experience at the Austin Running Event fair.

E.V.A, THE BEGINNING OF THE END? Part 1 : INDUSTRY REMINDER

Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), also known as poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (PEVA), is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. The weight percent vinyl acetate usually varies from 10 to 40%, with the remainder being ethylene.

EVA is an elastomeric polymer that produces materials which are "rubber-like" in softness and flexibility. The material has good clarity and gloss, low-temperature toughness, stress-crack resistance, hot-melt adhesive waterproof properties, and resistance to UV radiation. EVA has a distinctive vinegar-like odor and is competitive with Polyurethane in footwear applications. (source Wikipedia)

Footwear industry, back to the mid 70's envisioned the EVA Material as a solution in order to improve the overall comfort of active footwear. The first generations of running shoes fitted with EVA looked pretty much like the picture above. Mizuno Sky Race 1995 

The upper were generally a Mocassin construction, lasted in the forefoot over a dye-cut EVA Midsole and rubber outsole. The down-side of the cutting process lies in its binary look. An austere sand paper look.

In the same decade, I have been told That Brooks Sport were the very first company to compress- mold the EVA instead of the common dye-cut process. 

Unfortunately, I cannot prove myself right as I am still looking for the proven facts and Brooks doesn't seem to communicate this part of their history. 

This molding process opened a vast world of creativity in term of function and design. The heat of the mold melted the sand paper looked surface and turned it into a thin soft skin. We suddenly could create shapes and lines easily.

The other main material player of the 70's and 80's is the POLYURETHANE full sole as for the Adidas zx 8000 produced in 1988/89. 

The POLYURETHANE had fantastic characteristics of shape memory, due to its formula. The EVA is still generally loosing its dampening quality way faster than POLYURETHANE does. 

EVA has a minor density which makes it by far lighter than POLYURETHANE of that era. The Other downside of the POLYURETHANE were found in its weak resistance in keeping its original color (yellowing effect) and poor performance in Hydrolysis. Most of you might remember the midsoles breaking and powdering.

Once the compression molding process democratized, most Brands were sometimes combining EVA and POLYURETHANE in order to get the best of the two materials, mainly for functional reasons. 

In this case, Nike with the Nike Pegasus 1988 took the advantage of EVA for an overall lighter product at the forefoot. The POLYURETHANE guaranteed a long lasting heel cushioning. The air wedge embedding process also needed a POLYURETHANE environment until late year 2000.

1987 showed an other design/functional approach: a Stabilizer chassis called RSD. The Molding process of either EVA or POLYURETHANE (in this case) could fit with precision, different quality of Polymers together. Adidas ZX 820 Women.

Here is Another solution found at Adidas in order to improve the durable performance of EVA. 

A web was bonded over the EVA from top to the side of the midsole for a trampoline effect.

The story doesn't tell if this idea inspired brand SAUCONY for their GRID system, or vice versa? 

In a world of technologies, it is interesting to see how foams, in particular EVA and POLYURETHANE became a kind of a given standard to the average customer.  Here the nike air Max 1994.

Lets take the thought further, I would even see those foams as a platform of other visible technologies that became over time the more valuable additive systems and more precious in people's mind than the foam itself.  

I think it is an unfair lack of recognition to the foam. 

The visible air Max unit and its little sister the non visible forefoot air wedge were only additive richness and function to the product, never the reason why the shoe was more comfortable. 

until Adidas spring blade 2012 and Nike Vapor max 2016 , no active shoe cushioning system was available without foam.

Another example of foam being an interface in between the foot and the ground. Reebok Opus 3d foam 1997. 

Reebok gave a durability challenge to the EVA foam by removing the Rubber and claiming the foam is durable enough to withstand friction. 

But the stars of the picture are the Graphlite plate made of composite fibers and the unexpected shaped upper. 

Complex Mold processes, proved how the EVA is somehow flexible in combination of different characteristics. 

This Puma offers 5 variety of EVA within the same midsole, the M cell being bouncy, the O cell being cushy, a medial post being harder the white overall foam being medium and the ISS co molded plate for midfoot stability.

This shoe images the end of an era, the Lego blocks answering biomechanics in selected areas have been the pinnacle of the EVA combined evolution, far more complex than the dye-cut process. 

One question Though, was it better?

THE STORY BEHIND THE HISTORY

All of us Alive in 1992 might remember the first dream team, US Basketball team winner at the Olympics held in Barcelona. Maybe The best US team ever.

But I could not resist to speak about one of the first noticeable brand conflict in the modern sport era. NIKE VS REEBOK.  Generally Brands target the Olympic audience to promote their outfits. 

In this case Reebok was the sponsor.  It is hard to see any reebok logo in the track suit, that’s no accident. For many players “Reebok” was a concern — all players had endorsement contracts with Nike and Converse.

Everyone assumed, correctly, that the Dream Team would top the medal stand. According to the Baltimore Sun, USA Basketball and the USOC spent two years negotiating, trying to find a solution, but came up empty.

Ultimately, Jordan came up with the solution — he, Barkley, and Magic Johnson (a Converse endorser) draped American flags over their shoulders, obscuring the Reebok logo. Because there were only three flags available for some reason, the other members unzipped their jackets far enough such that their lapels covered up the Reebok name. Copyright © 2010-2016 Dan Lewis. All rights reserved.

Here is a closer picture of the story and the neglected Reebok Logo, powerful picture of Michael Jordan and his victory sign.

We are in 2016, When I saw this picture taken from the japanese website US1, the whole story behind history came back to my mind. worth spreading.

Jordan Brand apparently retained this moment of History to celebrate an olympic anniversary. the victory sign becomes a 2, the star spangled banner is authentic but the stars supposed to show on the sleeve became triangles? 

There is a circle inside the triangles, the like of a freemasonry symbol...its kind of strange. Why not a constant star pattern?

Apparently in the track and field Arena, the wear of a Reebok logo didn't seem to bother Mitchell, Burrell, Marsh and Lewis all endorsed by the japanese Mizuno and Asics corporations.

Bonus Fact: Nike sponsored the 2008 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team as well — and it may have caused a problem. Here’s the team picture from that year, via CNBC:

You’ll note that the first player from the left, Dwight Howard (#11), is the only one with is left arm hanging down — and the only one who is blocking the trademark Nike swoosh from the camera. Further, coach Mike Krzyzewski is sitting (which is weird for a team photo) and his left leg is obscuring Howard’s sneakers. Nike told CNBC that this was a coincidence, but unlike the other members of the 2008 team, Howard is an Adidas endorser.

In the scope of a full Honesty.

Certain parts of the text are taken from the  full article  http://nowiknow.com/star-spangled-ad-banner/

THE PIN STRIPE.

Here is a little story about how a functional feature became slowly a stylistic advantage: the pin stripe. 

This yellow stripe just under the MIZUNO Sky Road upper has had a function of either soften the foot bed for comfort or harden the footbed for enhanced performance or stability.

From the early 60's to the late 80's athletic shoes were fitted with different harness / materials in order to give the athlete the best of cushioning combination. 

Sometimes, due to technology choices the midsole separation was mandatory: Nike air wedge had to be surrounded by a PU foam. the Pegasus GX and the Windrunner are the reason why the midsoles are horizontally splitted.

Excepted few products made out of PU foam and mostly painted in order to avoid the yellowing effects (air Stab and heel part of the pegasus), The 90's offered pretty much plain white compressed molded EVA unpainted. 

One of the first disturbance arrived with the Nike air Talaria designed by Tinker Hatfield and team. This products offered a bunch of novelties in the footwear industry back to 1997. In this case we just have a look at the EVA sole. It shows two painted areas that link visually the upper to the midsole as if the products makes one discontinued graphic story. This is maybe the very first example of 2 distinctive colors set by painting over an EVA sole. 

We ended the first decade of 2000's with THE TREND. 

The New century questioned the white foams and the perceptible thickness, in a world looking for shoes visually closer to the ground while offering the same beneficial cushioning. 

2000's are also the year of the injected EVA Democracy. One foam, few drop-in techs and no external values. Thats maybe the reason of the creation of the HOLY painted pin stripe.

During my really small contribution to the Adidas Boost design exploration, I came up with this study. We realize the power of this TREND across all major actors of the field. 

We also guessed the end of the common EVA era and the beginning of the new foam tech Era started by nike and the Lunar foam.

Working for the Boost project, We questioned the reason the why we had to follow this path for the upcoming introduction. The first Boost generation did follow THE pin stripe TREND, the second generation of boost happily celebrated the return of the decomplexed full foam.

We are in 2016 now, New technologies are the reason to assume foam with plain color and verticality again because the benefice isn't visual-first anymore its all about EXPERIENCE.

2016 celebrate also the return of the color blocking or the color blocking that are more radical and graphic. The link isn't function driven first, it is almost fashion or industrial product oriented. I see this blocking alternative as a micro trend manifesto.

It looks like THE pin stripe TREND is slowly left for other manufacture solutions such as the algorythmic ornaments or the lazer engraved finished products turned into faded colors and degradés. In that case, we are at the beginning of a new trend that tends to Marry the function and the mathematic surfacing to new tech manufactures. 

I would really consider this direction as the next BIG thing in footwear. just look at the demand for Generative designers and engineers across the profession.

THE LIGHTWEIGHT BATTLE

The "Beautiful Game" feet endured a revolution back to the year 2002 and the introduction of the first NIKE mercurial Vapor at the world cup in Japan/Korea. the text above state the spirit of the actors in integrating the values of Michael Johnson golden shoe into football.

This shoe is a pure revolution since it integrates 10 major improvement in industrial footwear. Those values which have been a guidance for the next 15 years of lightweight boot design and engineering. what a Vision fitted in a minus 200 gr.

4 years later Puma launched the 165 gr shoe called PUMA V1 06 in the year of the world cup held in Germany. The Carbon fiber plate has been the first ever mass commercialized in football history.

Even if it comes third after a fila boot and the first generation of adidas F50, the v1 features the really first fine ripstop fabric as the main upper material.

The year 2008, adidas innovation team teased the rest of the company with an objective to answer the need of players to accelerate the game. 

Reacting after an advice given by Wolfgang Dremmler player scout at the Bayern Munich, AIT came up with this product called the ADIDAS DASSLER weighting 136 gr, performing the first ever triangular studs in history injected in polyamid and nano carbon fiber. 

All about speed, the shoe features the very first horizontal stripes, the future adizero branding principle.

The 2010 FIFA world cup held in South Africa celebrated the best scoring boot of the tournament. the shoe featured the silhouette, the branding, the derived stud shapes taken from its older sister the Dassler. 

This fantastic shoe demonstrate the strenght of a product designed with simplicity and guts that makes it a timeless piece of performance. 

The Nike mercurial vapor Initiative created a true revolution which wide spread accross all main actors of the field, with different constructions, stories and partnerships.

136 gr were apparently not enough, neither full opaque fabric. Adidas and Puma pushed the boundaries way further.

Adizero 99 gr  has been commercialized in a limited number starting by summer 2015, while Puma radicalized the finesse of the two matches only 120 gr EVOSPEED SL.

Are we now reaching the limits of such exercise?

Apparently not if we trust this image. The lightweight story maker has lost the battle in 2006 in favour of its competitor Puma and the V1 06. 

Nike featured heavier shoes since then. This swoosh-less prototype promises an approximate 80gr . I have no evidence of an intro date so far....

would somebody challenge the pinnacle of lighter boots?