// TCR PROCESS BOOI< 
FINAL THESIS PAPER - PG 2 
WINTER PROCESS BOOK - PAGE 52 
WINTER PRESENTATION - PAGE 79 
SPRING PROCESS BOOK - PAGE 7 19 
SPRING· PRESENTATION - PAGE 7 67 
NATE ROESE 
Capstone Proposal: 
Training, Competitive and Recovery Footwear Design for Elite Male High Jumpers 
Nate Roese 
 Spring 2020
Training, Competitive and Recovery Footwear Design for Elite Male High Jumpers 
SPD Capstone Research 
Nate Roese 
 
History of High Jump 
The first recorded high jump competition was recorded during the early 19th century in 
Scotland (Dapena, 2002). Due to its popularity, it was incorporated into the first modern 
Olympics in 1896. Prior to high jump competition, it was first used as a physical training activity 
in Germany in the late 18th century (Dapena, 2002). It was realized during this time that the key 
factor to jumping high wasn't just to have power but to have proper technique. High jump 
techniques have gone through the most radical change over its lifetime in the field events for 
track and field.  
The first technique used was called "legs up" which a person would simply lift their legs 
up when jumping to clear the bar (Dapena, 2002). The next evolutionary technique was created 
around 1876 and was called the scissors or the scissor kick (Dapena, 2002). This technique 
demands for the person lifts their legs over the bar in alteration which exponentially increased 
the height people jumped. This raised issues on landing, so now jumpers would land in sand or 
dirt to soften the fall. The scissors technique is still used today as a warm-up and training 
exercise for high jumpers. Following the scissors technique are the eastern cut off, the western 
roll, the straddle and few others with a little variation (Dapena, 2002). None were as 
revolutionary as the fosbury flop.  
The fosbury flop was created by Dick Fosbury in the early 1960's ("Dick Fosbury", 
2019). He started experimenting with new jumping techniques in high school because he was 
having trouble with the current straddle technique ("Dick Fosbury", 2019). With the new 
implementation of foam rubber landing pits, he was able to use a more unique jumping technique 
that didn't require that the jumper land on their feet. His junior year of high school is when he 
started officially using it, even though his coaches would encourage him to stick to traditional 
jumping techniques ("Dick Fosbury", 2019). That year he broke his high school record, and the 
following year he earned second at the state meet. He attended Oregon State University where he 
set the school record after his sophomore year. He went on to be the first high jumper to win 
consecutive NCAA high jump titles in 1967 and 1968 ("Dick Fosbury", 2019). After winning the 
NCAA's his senior year, he qualified for the Olympics in Mexico City. This was the international 
debut of the fosbury flop and Dick Fosbury showed the techniques full potential. He won the 
gold medal and set an Olympic high jump record of 2.24 meters ("Dick Fosbury", 2019). Since 
then, the fosbury flop is the most popular technique in the modern high jump. 
The Fosbury Flop Technique: 
 
(Yi Jen, n.d.) 
 
 
Prior to the Fosbury Flop, high jumpers used the Straddle: 
 
(Lopez, 2013) 
 
Sports Playing Field 
The high jump environment consists of 3 key elements, the landing pit, upright standard 
bars, and the crossbar. The function of the landing pit is to soften the landing of the high jumpers 
to reduce injury. The landing pit is made from foam and covered with a synthetic polyester and 
mesh. The size of the landing pit needs to be at least 5m long x 3m wide (Agola, 2016). The 
upright standard bars are usually made from either steel or aluminum to hold the crossbar at a 
certain height. The 4-meter long crossbar is what the high jumpers are jumping over. The 
crossbar is made from durable pultruded fiberglass and the ends sit on the height standard bars 
("Gill Essentials", n.d.). 
Diagram of High Jump Environment:  
 
(Agola, 2016) 
 
High Jump Rules and Success to Winning 
Jumpers have 3 attempts at each bar height; if they fail to clear the height, they're out of 
the competition. If the bar falls off the upright standards in anyway during the jump, it will be 
considered a failed attempted. The jumpers are only allowed to jump off of one foot or they're 
disqualified. The jumper who has cleared the highest bar, wins the competition. If there is a tie, 
the judges will had the least amount of misses at the tying bar. If it's still a tie then the judges 
will see who had the least amount of misses overall. 
The type of footwear a high jumper needs is very important to how successful they are. 
The shoes of jumpers cannot exceed 11 spikes with a length of 12 mm (IAAF, 2017). The 
thickness of the sole cannot exceed 13mm and the heel cannot exceed 19mm (IAAF, 2017). The 
shoes needs to be lightweight, durable, supportive, and they need to lock down the foot. The 
necessary skills to be successful as a high jumper are speed, power, flexibility and aerial 
awareness. High jumpers need speed to gain forward momentum to convert into vertical 
momentum to jump high. Power is important because the high jumper needs to generate as much 
power as they can to launch themselves over the bar. Flexibility is important especially for the 
fosbury flop technique because it requires them to bend their backs while going over the bar. If 
the jumpers can increase the bend in their backs, the chances of them clearing the bar height 
increases. High jumpers also need aerial awareness when they're jumping so they don't hit the 
bar with their feet during their jump.  
 
Showing power, flexibility and aerial awareness: 
 
("Olympic High Jump", 2013) 
 
Athlete/ Consumer/ User Data and Market Size 
Organized high jump starts in middle school and can continue all the way to the 
professional level. Athletes compete in high jump around the world, while a part of a club or 
school. There's no data to how many athletes participate in the high jump event, but according to 
World Athletics, in 2019 there were 5,198 recorded competitors of men and women. Elite male 
high jumpers will be the focus of the capstone research. Elite is considered to be collegiate and 
professional high jumpers who have jumped over 7 feet or 2.13 meters. World Athletics reported 
that in 2019, there have been around 800 professional male high jumpers who have competed.  
There's a lot of discussion on the height and weight ratio in the high jump event. High 
jumpers are generally taller and leaner than most people which helps with propelling their bodies 
over the bar. Although, it's not necessary to be tall and/or lean; Stefan Holm's is a Swedish high 
jumper that broke that stereotype. At 5'9, he won an Olympic gold medal and was able to jump 
59 centimeters over his own height (Maraviglia, 2019). 
An interesting study done on the age of peak performance in track events showed high 
jump to have an early peak of athletic performance. Men's and women's high jump had the 
lowest average age of peak performance of all jumping events. The average is about 23.5 years 
old, which indicates that maybe younger jumpers have more of an advantage ("Peak Age", 
2013). 
 
("Peak Age", 2013) 
 
Event Positions 
In high jump, there are two positions the jumper can start their approach from. The 
jumpers will either start on the right side if they're jumping off their left foot or the left side if 
they're jumping off their right foot. Once a side is picked, a set amount of steps is determined 
based on how advanced the jumper is. The number usually ranges from 8 to 12 steps. The first 
half of the steps should be upright long strides to accelerate the person and the last 4-5 should be 
shorter more powerful steps to transfer the horizontal momentum into vertical momentum.  
 
Physiological and Biomechanical Needs for the Athletes 
High jump training can vary depending on what coach the high jumper has but it will 
generally consist of weight training, sprinting intervals, plyometrics and event training. The 
athletes will be wearing training shoes for most of these workouts, except for event training; 
instead, they'll be wearing high jump spikes. Ph.D and assistant track and field coach for Harvard 
University, Paul Turner, wrote a paper on the training their high jumpers go through.  
The suggested lifts in the paper for weight training includes bench press, power cleans, 
squats, leg press, heel raises, lunges, and step ups (Turner, n.d.). These lifts allow for the high 
jumper to build fundamental muscle groups to help them become stronger over the training 
block. These lifts, except for bench press, help build muscle in the jumpers quadriceps, 
hamstrings, calves and glutes (Lindberg, 2019). These muscles are the primary sources of where 
high jumpers get their power from to increase speed and vertical force. Bench press will build 
muscles in the chest, shoulders and triceps. These muscles also have a strong correlation to 
increasing speed and vertical force. The amount of sets and reps changes throughout the year 
whether the athletes is pre-season, during season, or off-season. Generally, the weight is going to 
be high, reps will range from 6 to 10, and sets will usually be around 3 or 4 (Turner, n.d.).  
Sprinting intervals are important to developing speed so that the high jumper can gain 
enough horizontal velocity to convert into vertical velocity. Turner had his jumpers do various 
intervals from 4 sets of 400 meter strides (70% of maximal exertion) to 10 sets of 30 rows of 
stairs (Turner, n.d.). Another sprint interval he had assigned was 6-7 sets of 150 meter fast runs 
(85% of maximal exertion) (Turner, n.d.). All these workouts will increase in intensity as the 
season progresses. These workouts demand a lot from the body and the athletes must have proper 
gear to successfully complete the workout injury free. During sprinting, the jumpers are mostly 
using their mid-foot to forefoot area for landing and forefoot to push off. Having footwear that 
features cushioning, responsiveness, lightweight and energy return will be most helpful for these 
types of workouts. 
Plyometrics are exercises that require muscles to exert maximal amount of force in short 
intervals ("Plyometrics", 2019). The goal of plyometrics is to build and strength fast twitch 
muscle fibers so the athlete can produce more power quicker. Turner had his high jumpers do a 
variety of plyometrics including squat jumps, split squat jumps, cycled split squat jumps, 
plyometric sit ups, double leg hops and bounding (Turner, n.d.). Plyometrics can work different 
muscles in the body, but in the case of high jump training, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and 
glutes will be the primary muscles in use. Having footwear with a lot of stability, cushioning, 
responsiveness and lightweight materials will be beneficial for the jumper performing 
plyometrics.  
The high jump event can be divided into 3 parts: the run up phase, the take off and the 
flight phase. The purpose of the run up phase is to gain speed and set up appropriate conditions 
for the take off phase. During the take off phase, the exertion of force from the athlete will 
determine the maximum height of the center of mass (COM) and the angular momentum in the 
air (Dapena, n.d.). Once in the flight phase, the athlete will be able to adjust the COM by lower 
parts of their body (feet and head) to raise other parts (hips) (Dapena, n.d.). 
  
(Dapena, n.d.) 
Horizontal and veritcal velocity and the height of COM during the take off phase are 
extremely important biomechanically for the high jumper. During the beginning of the take off 
phase, the foot plants on the ground, causing the ground force to push back an equal and opposite 
force up the leg and body (Dapena, n.d.). This upward force is what transfers the energy from the 
horizontal velocity to the vertical velocity. The output of this determines how high the COM will 
go when the foot leaves the ground (Dapena, n.d.). A faster approach can increase the vertical 
velocity of the jumper, therefore increasing the bodies COM in the air (Depena, n.d.).  
 
(Dapena, n.d.) 
This table shows how a balance of a faster approach (horizontal velocity) and lower 
COM at the beginning of take off can increase the vertical velocity at the end of take off 
(Dapena, n.d.). COM should be in a lower position during the beginning of take off and higher at 
the end. Having the body at a lower position at the beginning of take off is hard for athletes 
because the body will need to be supported by a deeply flexed non take off leg (Dapena, n.d.). 
It's also difficult for the non take off leg to support body without losing velocity (Dapena, n.d.). 
Finding the optimum balance between COM at the beginning of take off and the horizontal 
velocity is different from jumper to jumper.  
In regards to footwear, it's important to look at what's happening to the foot on a 
biomechanical level. When most high jumpers plant their foot for take off, the longitudinal axis 
is neither aligned with the final direction of the run up nor the horizontal force the athlete exerts 
(Dapena, n.d.). 
  
(Dapena, n.d.) 
This unalignment causes the foot to roll inwards (pronation of the ankle) (Dapena, n.d.). 
This means that the medial side of the foot is stretched and the lateral side is compressed. 
Extreme pronation can cause injury to the ankle and foot. The sequence of images below show 
the ankle joint pronating while the foot plants during the take off phase.  
 
(Dapena, n.d.) 
The high jump event in general is utilizing most of the body. It's important the high 
jumper have strong legs, hips, shoulders and arms. The legs help you gain speed and give you the 
initial power to explode up during take off. Strong hips help the body rotate over the bar and to 
avoid hit the bar off. Shoulders and arms help control the body when running up for the approach 
and to gain vertical momentum.  
When it comes to recovering muscles, what do athletes need in their footwear? A simple 
answer is increasing blood flow, which helps bring oxygen to their muscles and oxygen allows 
for the muscles to heal. On a more scientific level, the body needs nitric oxide to encourage the 
muscles to start healing (Bryan, 2019). Nitric Oxide is a molecule that tells blood vessels to 
improve oxygen and nutrients delivery which helps the regeneration process (Bryan, 2019).  
There are natural ways of increasing nitric oxide in your body such as having a good diet 
high in vegetables and antioxidants. Important antioxidants include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, 
Polyphenols and Glutathione which all have their own benefits but collectively help form nitric 
oxide in the body (Van De Walle, 2018).  
Another way of increasing recovery time is to use bioceramic material. Ceramic materials 
and mineral oxide are heated to 1700 Celsius, and once it's cooled, bioceramics is created (Alger, 
2019). Bioceramics works by producing Far-Infrared (FIR) radiation when heated by the human 
body. FIR has been shown to increase blood circulation, reduce oxidative stress, reduce 
inflammation, and moderate sleep better (Alger, 2019). The image below is an example of how 
bioceramics can be printed onto clothing. 
 
(Alger, 2019) 
There's been studies done on FIR and it's health benefits. A study that used FIR in saunas 
helped decrease pain, stiffness and fatigue (Hall, 2017).  Although this study was done on 
subjects that had arthritis pains. Bioceramics is still being studied for its potential benefits on 
far-infrared radiation but companies like Under Armour are already using it.  
Under Armour has partnered with Celliant to incorporate bioceramics into sleepwear, 
originally made for Tom Brady. According to Celliants website, use of their products with 
bioceramics in it are clinically proven to enhance tissue oxygen levels, improving athletic 
performance, sleep quality, health and wellness (Celliant, n.d.). According to their website, the 
first step is to mix 13 proprietary thermo-reactive minerals and embed them into the core of 
polyester fibers. These embedded materials now have the ability to re-emit electromagnetic light 
energy emitted by the body. By altering the wavelengths of this energy back to your body, it 
triggers vasodilation in the capillary bed and increase the amount of oxygen available. This 
process increases tissue oxygenation by 7%, making the body use oxygen more efficiently 
("How It Works-Celliant", n.d.). 
 
Current/ Competitive Product Research 
There are a variety of brands that make high jump spikes. Nike and Adidas make the 
most popular spikes that jumpers wear. I'll be analyzing 5 different high jump spikes that are 
currently offered on the market.  
Nike's unisex spikes are called the High Jump Elite with a price point of $125. According 
to Nike's website, it features a mesh upper with synthetic skin for a lightweight and breathable 
fit. A light Pebax plate for a more explosive push-off and a midfoot strap to help support and 
lock down the foot. This high jump spike also features a midfoot strap to keep the foot locked 
down. Reviews for this spike were good, everyone seemed to have positive things to say about 
them. They fit well, are durable and comfortable, but some complaints were about the color. 
 
Nike High Jump Elite: 
 
Adidas's spikes are called the adiZero HJ spikes with a price point of $110. Adidas didn't 
have the spikes listed on their website, so I retrieved my information from Eastbay. According to 
Eastbay, the upper is made with a stitchless upper covered in a Sprintweb overlay for lightweight 
support and lockdown. Lining is made with a sweat wicking yarn to keep the jumper dry, fresh 
and focused. EVA midsole offers lightweight cushioning and with a rigid Pebax plate. The 
outsole is covered in a sharkskin traction pattern for grip. The reviews for this spike were high 
with no complaints. Users felt like they were comfortable and durable, and really liked the 
midfoot strap. 
Adidas adiZero HJ: 
 
 
Asics's men's high jump spike is called the High Jump Pro Track Shoe with a price point 
of $120. According to their website, the upper is made with faux leather and textile lining. The 
midsole is made from their cushioning technology called Solyte and the outsole has SharkDuo 
technology for grip. The pair of spikes are asymmetrical and are made for a left foot take off. 
Reviews for the Asics high jump spike were average. A lot of users felt like these were an 
improvement from previous models and liked them for the left foot focused take off design. 
Other users felt that they fit incorrectly but that was the only negative.  
 
Asics High Jump Pro: 
 
The Saucony Uplift HJ 2 spikes are listed at a $100 price point. According to their 
website, the upper is designed with Saucony's Isofit stretch mesh with Flexfilm overlays for 
lightweight support. It offers a removable foam insole for adjustability, and padded tongue and 
collar. The midsole is made with an EVA foam for impact absorption and a rigid 11 spike plate 
with energy return for a powerful take-off. Reviews for these were 4 stars, the pros of them that 
they were comfortable and lightweight and cons were that they weren't durable.  
Saucony Uplift HJ 2: 
 
The Puma Men's evoSPEED High Jump 5 spike is listed at $135. Puma didn't have the 
spikes on their website, so information was taken from Eastbay. According to Eastbay, the upper 
is made from synthetic materials that comfortably wrap around the foot for a secure feeling. The 
midsole strap helps to lock down the foot and the adjustability of it helps to personalize the fit. 
The Pebax plate and the shark skin outsole offers an aggressive grip for maximum speed and 
propulsion. There were no reviews online for the Puma evoSPEED high jump spikes.  
Puma evoSPEED High Jump 5: 
 
High jumpers also use normal running shoes for their training and some athletes will use 
recovery shoes for after their workout and competition. I'll be analyzing Nike, Adidas and Puma 
training shoes and Oofos, Hoka One One, and New Balance recovery shoes. There are no 
training and recovery shoes specific for high jumpers but the shoes being looked at seem to be a 
popular and relevant choice for them. 
Training Shoes: Nike, Puma, and Adidas 
 
According to Nike's website, the $120 Nike Air Zoom Structure 22 is made with flywire 
cables to secure the foot, engineered mesh for ventilation and targeted support, and a partial 
bootie that wraps the foot for a snug and secure fit. An air zoom unit is incorporated into the 
Nike zoom foam midsole. The shoe also has an offset of 10mm (12mm forefoot; 22mm heel). 
The reviews for the Nike Structures are around 4 stars. The users felt like they were comfortable, 
fit well and stabilize the foot. Negative comments included durability issues, tread wearing down 
too fast, and lack of innovation between older models.  
According to Puma's website, the $130 Puma SPEED Orbiter running shoe is made from 
the engineered knit for a sock-like fit. The midsole is created with Puma's Hybrid foam, a 
combination of 2 seperate foams for cushioning and responsiveness. Inside the midsole, there is a 
propulsion plate that helps the runners toe-off faster. The outsole is made from Puma's DIN40 
performance rubber for traction and durability. The offset is 12mm, no specification on forefoot 
or heel height. There are very few reviews for Puma Orbiter but the reviews are positive with a 5 
star rating. Positive remarks were that the shoe is very comfortable and fit well. The only 
negative comments are that they are a bit too heavy. 
According to Adidas's website, the $160 Adidas Solarboost 19 is made with an air mesh 
upper that has tailored fiber placement for midfoot support. The shoe incorporates a fitcounter 
heel for heel lockdown, propulsion rail for guiding the foot and a stabilizing torsion system. The 
midsole is made with Boost foam for a responsive feel. The shoe has a 10 mm offset (22mm 
forefoot; 32mm heel). The reviews for the Adidas Solarboost are a 4.3 / 5. Positive comments are 
made on how comfortable, lightweight and supportive the running shoes are. Negative comments 
included being expensive, forefoot tightness and causing blisters.  
Recovery Shoes: Oofos, Hoka One One, and New Balance 
     
According to Oofos's website, the $80 Oofos Ooahh Sport Flex Sandals features their 
Oofoam that absorbs 37% more impact than traditional footwear foams to reduce stress on the 
feet and joints. The sandal is made with a velcro strap to secure the foot down for optimal fit. It's 
machine washable along with moisture and bacteria resistant. Reviews for the Oofos are a 4.5 / 
5. Users thought they were very comfortable and they have helped alleviate pain in the heels. 
Negative comments were about the velcro size and not being safe to wear around.  
 According to Hoka One One's website, the $80 Hoka One One Ora Recovery Shoe is 
made with a flexible lightweight mesh upper for breathability and comfort with easy entry. EVA 
foam in the midsole for stability, durability and support along with groove placements for 
optimal comfort and grip. This shoe also has an offset of 5mm. Reviews for the Hoka One One 
are a 4.2 / 5. The main positive feedback is that they are lightweight, comfortable and good 
cushioning. Negative comments are that they too narrow and tight, uncomfortable and they have 
poor arch support.  
According to New Balance's website, the $70 New Balance RCVRY Shoe is made with a 
breathable mesh upper and is machine washable. The Midsole is made from CUSH+ foam and 
the footbed "massages" foot to help restore blood flow to the area. Reviews for the New Balance 
RCVRY are a 4.4 / 5. Users felt like they were comfortable, lightweight and flexible. Negative 
comments were that they don't have any arch support, there are holes going through the midsole 
and that they run small so fit is a problem. 
Anatomy of Typical State of the Art Products  
Looking at the product landscape above, there are some common features from all the 
spikes. All the high jump spikes have a strap that goes over the top of the upper which supports 
and locks down the foot. It's an adjustable strap with velcro so the jumper can decide how tight 
they want to strap their foot down. High jump generates a lot of force, especially on the foot and 
spike, so adding a lockdown mechanism is important so the foot can stay in place.  
The next common feature is the shark skin outsole which goes wraps up onto the upper. 
All the spikes have this except for the Nike pair, but their previous model did. This benefit of the 
shark skin is for grip and traction but there's no explanation on why it wraps up so high. An 
educated guess is that the spike deforms during the take off phase but the shark skin wrap still 
allows traction even when not on the bottom of the spike. Another common feature that benefits 
traction and grip are the 11 spikes on the bottom. All spikes have exactly 4 on the heel and 7 on 
the forefoot.  
 
Common features of the training shoes include having a certain type of engineered mesh 
or knit for the upper. It's important for the upper to breathable and fit well, so an engineered 
mesh allows for both. An offset of about 10mm to 12mm is common which allows more 
cushioning under the heel. All the running shoes looked at are designed for a heel to toe striking 
pattern of the foot. 
 
 
The recovery shoes are all focused on cushioning and the midsole technology. The uppers 
are breathable and lightweight, and made from mesh unless it's a sandal. The main goal of the 
recovery shoes or sandals are to be comfortable and help relax the foot. Easy insertion of the foot 
seems to be in mind when designing these shoes whether it's a laceless design or a sandal.  
 
State of the Art Materials of Current Relevant Products 
The upper of the high jump spike consists of a synthetic polyester overlayed with TPU 
film. This allows for the upper to be lightweight and supportive. EVA foam or a companies 
specialized foam is incorporated into the midsole for cushioning. The plate in a high jump spike 
is designed by Pebax which is made from thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). It's lighter and 
stronger than typical TPU (Pebax®, 2019). This plate allows the high jumper to run faster and 
jump higher.  
Training shoes are made with an engineered mesh or knit; the material is usually a 
polyester. This allows for durability, lightweight and breathability. Using durable bemis on the 
upper helps make the upper more durable and offer an option for graphics. The midsole 
technology varies from company to company with some using Zoom and Boost or a combination 
such as Ignite foam and NRGY beads. All these give a certain amount of cushioning and 
responsiveness. High end shoes have carbon fiber plates incorporated into the midsole for better 
energy return. Outsole tread technology is all made from rubber. 
Recovery shoes are made with mesh or breathable polyester for the upper. If it's a sandal 
silhouette then a polyester wrap or foam with be used to secure the foot. The wrap will be 
connected at the top of the foot using velcro. The foam technology varies from company to 
company. Hoka uses regular EVA foam but increase the amount used, Oofos use their signature 
Ofoam, and New Balance uses their super soft Cush+ foam.  
 
State of the Art Manufacturing of Current Relevant Products 
Engineered wovens are less wasteful than traditional manufacturing processes (Cobb, 
2019). An engineered woven is sewn together by a jacquard flat knit machine to make the exact 
upper pattern piece. This also allows the sewing machine to strategically place support or 
breathable parts into the upper. The midsole foam begins in the form of small pellets and goes 
through a process called reaction injection molding to heat up the pellets and expands it to the 
shape of the midsole. Another manufacturing process of this is to 3D print the midsole. A 
company called Carbon 3D printed the Adidas Futurecraft midsole using a process they call, 
Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) (Carbon Lattice Innovation, n.d.). A benefit of 3D printing is that 
businesses can get their hands on the prototype or product faster. They also have a lot of 
flexibility in customizing a certain product if they so choose (Carbon Lattice Innovation, n.d.). In 
the case of a midsole, a company can customize the type of support or cushioning a customer 
needs. In the future, the customization of midsole/ insoles will be commercialized for all 
footwear. Once the upper is sewn together with the strobel and the midsole and outsole are 
created and attached, they can be glued together with barge.  
Manufacturing Process: Engineered Woven, Reaction Injection Molding,  3D Printing, and 
Gluing Upper and Midsole. 
 
Utility Patent Landscape or Protection of the Products Intellectual Property 
Nike's Unisex High Jump Spike Plate Patent: "Footwear with Rimmed Sole Structure" 
The patent identifies Nike's new design of a high jump plate. The plate is split into 2 layers, the 
outer layer which wraps up towards the upper and the inner layer which interlays between the 
footbed and outer layer (Cook, 2015). This new design is to create a lighter Pebax plate while 
creating better lift off ("Nike High Jump Elite", 2019).  
 
(Cook, 2015) 
 
Oofos 00mg Low Shoe Overlapping Midsole Patent: "Insole and Outsole Two-Piece Shoe" 
This patent identifies Oofos durometer range of between 28 and 38 on the Asker C scale, for the 
midsole and outsole (Brown & Diaz, 2017). The patent also goes over the sandwiching of the 
upper pattern with the midsole and outsole pieces (Brown & Diaz, 2017).  
 
(Brown & Diaz, 2017) 
 
Hoka One One Midsole Technology Patent: "Footwear Including A Stabilizing Sole" 
This patent identifies stabilizing features in Hoka One One running shoes. Side walls extend 
along the medial and lateral side of the footbed, specifically of the heel. This structure provides 
stability to the wearers foot while aligning with the shape of the foot (Hillyer, Paris, & Pulli, 
2016). 
 
(Hillyer, Paris, & Pulli, 2016) 
Graphic, Logo and Color Application on Current Product Space 
High jump spike graphics include TPU film decals pressed on top of the upper fabric. 
Fast and sharp diagonal lines are used to portray the spike to be fast and agile. There is also a 
common theme of using mesh as both functional and aesthetics on the upper. The same 
principles apply to the training shoes. The graphics on the recovery shoes/ sandals are a lot less 
refined. There is still use of diagonal sharp lines and angles and also gradation is used as a 
graphic.  
                        
Logos for the trainers, spikes and recovery shoe are shown mostly on the lateral side side 
of the shoe as well as the bottom. Nike's logo tends to move up towards the vamp or toe box of 
the shoe. Puma's logo is placed in a way to be used as a functional piece for lateral reinforcement 
on the foot.  
       
    
The colors on high jump spikes seem to start with a base of white or black and then hints 
of energetic colors such as yellow, green and orange. Sometimes the base won't be a majority of 
either black or white but one of the energetic colors (yellow, green and orange). The colors of the 
training shoes vary a lot more, but usually start with base color of black or white as well. 
Energetic colors are still seen in the training shoe color scheme but they're grouped with other 
colors. The recovery shoes have a lack of color compared to the spikes and trainers. The colors 
are usually black and white, which gives off a simple and less energetic feel to them. This 
research was based off of the brands websites which gave the colorways of the shoes that were 
analyzed. 
 
Create a SWOT Analysis of Current Product Landscape 
Training Shoes 
Strengths: Weaknesses: 
- A lot of cushioning - Non specific for high jump training 
- Variety of different features and or jumping in general 
benefits - Made for running straight 
- High quality materials - Forefoot cushioning for landing and 
- A lot of biomechanical testing take off 
Opportunities: Threats: 
- High jump / long jump specific - Too niche of a topic 
training shoe - Testing proposed design 
- Plyometric inspired training shoe - Functionality of new design 
- Less injury on the foot - New design/ silhouette causes new 
- Allow athletes to jump higher problems 
and train more efficient 
- New silhouette 
 
Spikes 
Strengths: Weaknesses: 
- Designed for high jump - No revolutionary design change 
- Lightweight and breathable - Uncomfortable 
- Biomechanical testing done - Relatively simple shoe for complex 
- High quality materials foot movement 
- Spike and "sharkskin" traction - Generally not designed for the take off 
- Lockdown of foot with strap  foot 
Opportunities: Threats: 
- New silhouette or foam technology - Comfortability of slanted insole/ 
- Design new plate midsole 
- Allows athletes to jump higher - Testing/ convincing that slant will 
- Design specific for the take off foot work 
- Slanted insole for better curve running - Possible injury 
and center of mass (COM) during take 
off 
 
 
Recovery Shoes 
Strengths: Weaknesses: 
- Focus on cushioning - Medium - low-quality material 
- Breathability and moisture-wicking - Lack of a variety of materials 
- Washable - Innovation 
- Comfortable   
- Exploring ways to increase blood flow 
Opportunities: Threats: 
- Specific for athletes/ jumpers flying - Too blue sky idea 
the night or morning after their - Gathering information about the body 
competition during air travel 
- Bioceramic materials for increase - Testing proposed design solutions will 
blood flow be hard 
- 37.5 technology for cooling the foot  
- Reflexology inspired insole and/ or 
midsole 
- High top/ knee-high compression 
for calf recovery 
- Overall faster and better recovery so 
athletes/ jumpers can feel better faster.  
 
 
Nate's Core Strengths 
Nate studied graphic design at the University of Minnesota where he also ran Division 1 
track and field. Being surrounded by track and field and sports most of his life, he's become a 
fanatic of athletics and competition. Nate's currently studying to get his masters of science in 
sports product design at the University of Oregon. This is where Nate has really developed as a 
product innovator. Having learned how to properly research, design and create products, he 
dreams of becoming a footwear designer to assist track and field athletes to achieve their goals. 
So far as a product innovator, Nate's core strengths include research, pushing design 
boundaries, and prototyping/ making. Nate will tackle a design problem through research, 
whether it's analyzing the current product market, listening to athlete insight or through a 
biomechanical lens. He's recently been introduced to the world of sports biomechanics but has 
found it very useful in guiding his design and ideation direction. With the help of biomechanics, 
Nate can look at a sports product problem and generally understand the biomechanical needs for 
the solution. This type of design process helps legitimize his design solution. 
Nate also finds that athletes give some of the best design advice for the products they use. 
Having been surrounded by athletes, trainers, and coaches his whole life, he has many 
connections in the sports world, especially in track and field. By also being an elite athlete, he 
better understands their needs in terms of products. 
Nate's strengths will help support new innovation in high jump footwear. He is looking at 
a collection of shoes that are worn through the whole training and competition process. 
Specifically, he's looking at a high jump specific training shoe, high jump spikes and recovery 
shoe. 
 
How Nate's Strengths Will Support New Innovation for High Jump 
There are no training shoes specific for high jump so looking at the biomechanical needs 
of this shoe will be important. Understanding how the current shoes are being used and worn 
down will give a good indicator to what needs to be updated and designed with more durable 
material. High jumpers do a lot of sprints and plyometrics so taking these types of activities into 
account will be necessary. A lot of shoes that high jumpers currently wear for training are shoes 
designed for distance running. If there's a way to incorporate better jumping, landing and 
sprinting features in the shoe, it could help high jumpers train better and reduce the chance of 
injuries. 
Understanding the physics and biomechanics behind high jump is crucial to designing an 
improved pair of new high jump spikes. Nate's biomechanical interest will play a big role in his 
ideation process and ultimately his new design. Designing spikes for high jump is challenging 
because there is so much going on with the body and the feet. Nate will have to look at video 
analysis of high jumpers during their jump to better understand what is happening to the body 
and the foot. He will use his knowledge in biomechanics to identify the direction of forces, gait 
cycle, foot pressure mapping and more. By understanding these, he can better design a spike that 
not only makes the athletes jump higher but reduce the amount of stress of their foot. With the 
connections Nate has with track and field, he is able to receive the athlete insight he needs on 
high jump. Using this insight will be very useful in product directions and concerns that the users 
have on current products. In the end, all this information will help Nate make proper design 
solutions and make a shoe that high jumpers will like noticeably better than previous products. 
Nate will tackle the recovery shoe in the same way as the training shoe and spikes, by 
using athlete insight and biomechanics. The recovery shoe will be tailored towards high jumpers 
but Nate will be using other athletes that have used recovery shoes for their opinions and advice. 
The recovery shoe is looking specifically into the traveling aspect of the athlete and how that can 
affect their recovery. College and professional athletes will travel the same day or the morning 
after they compete and this can cause extra strain on their muscles and recovery time. Nate will 
look at what muscles high jumpers mainly use and see if he can tend to those areas. He will also 
look into if the effects of air travel on muscles and ways a recovery shoe can combat those 
effects. By making a successful recovery shoe, the athlete/ high jumper will need less time to 
recover so they can feel better and start training again. Nate will also design this shoe for injury 
prevention in mind so high jumpers can focus on training and not on healing their body.  
 
How Does This Body of Work Supports Nate's Career in the Industry 
Nate plans on having a career in the athletic footwear industry. More specifically he 
would like to design for running and track and field athletes. This project encompasses not only 
the product space he wants to work in but also the sport and activities. Nate also would like to 
work in the innovation for footwear and this project allows him to show off his skills. Each one 
of Nate's products he's making demonstrates certain skills that will support him to get into the 
career he wants. 
The high jump training shoe demonstrates Nate's ability to make a product look 
aesthetically pleasing but also functional in its own unique way. This product will show his skills 
in research, design and especially making. The high jump spike will demonstrate Nate's ability to 
use his knowledge and resources in biomechanics to make a revolutionary product in the high 
jump space. This product will show his skills in designing, making and especially researching. 
The high jump recovery shoe will demonstrate Nate's ability in research, biomechanics, and 
physiology, and incorporating it into a shoe. This product will show his skills in making and 
especially in designing and researching.  
 
Field Work 
The type of research for the project consisted of athlete research, footwear performance, 
and gathering foot data research. Athlete research was to learn about certain insights athletes, 
coaches and trainers had on training, competition, and recovery for the high jump. Footwear 
performance research was to look closer at how the current shoes are actually functioning during 
activity. Foot data research was to gather information on the feet, specifically pressure zones 
while training and competing. The fieldwork for this project took place at the University of 
Washington and the University of Minnesota. These universities gave me the opportunity to 
complete the research for the project and gave me better insight into problems rather than 
learning them online.  
The University of Washington was the first destination between the two trips. I made 
contact with a University of Oregon high jumper prior to the meet to let him know that I was 
coming and would like to talk afterward. At the meet, I watched the high jumpers warm-up and 
observed the shoes that they were wearing to better understand the types of shoes they felt 
comfortable wearing. The shoe models ranged a lot for Nike, and Adidas athletes mostly wore 
the solardrives. When it came to the competition spikes, both old and new models of the Nike 
spikes were worn, and the current spikes for Adidas were worn. 
The University of Minnesota (UMN) was the second trip I took for research where I 
covered all of my research goals. UMN was picked because it's a school that I have a lot of close 
connections and have a lot of good high jumpers. I was able to work closely with athletes to 
receive athlete, coach and trainer feedback and insight, capture footwear performance and gather 
foot pressure mapping.  
One of the main goals of attending the track meets was to capture slow-motion videos of 
the last step of their approach (take-off foot). This would be the method of researching the 
footwear performance of the shoes. I brought a high-speed camera that captured 120 fps at 1080 
resolution, and I also used my iPhone which captured 240 fps at 1080 resolution. The camera 
was able to capture high-quality close-ups of the take-off foot while the camera was able to 
capture better slow-motion videos of the take-off foot. I used both to gather as much data as 
possible and I also took continuous shots to get clear images of the take-off foot. 
 
Research Questions and People I Talked To 
I talked to multiple athletes both collegiate and professional, and had the chance to talk to 
a collegiate high jump coach, an athletic trainer, and sports scientists in the industry. The 
collegiate athletes I talked to were Nick Bachinski, Ben Gucinski, Danny Schiller, Michael 
Burke, and Ryan Lockard who have either competed or currently do compete for the University 
of Minnesota. All these Minnesota high jumpers have jumped over 7 feet, which I consider an 
elite high jumper. I also talked to Ben Milligan from the University of Oregon who is also a 7 
foot plus high jumper. The professional athletes I talked to were Luca Wieland from Germany, 
Shelby McEwen and Kevin Schultz from the USA, and Adrijus Geblauskas from Lithuania. The 
high jump coach I talked to was Zach Seigmeier who coaches at the University of Minnesota and 
the athletic trainer I talked to was Katie Madden who works at the University of Minnesota as 
well. I talked to Daniel Schuster and Eric Holmes from Adidas who have backgrounds in 
biomechanics and product testing. I also talked to Brad Wilkins from Amp Performance who has 
a background in sports physiology. These are the questions I asked athletes: 
1. What is your shoe size and what is your jump foot? 
2. What shoes do you wear during training and workouts? 
- What are your likes and dislikes? 
3. What spikes do you wear for competition? 
- What are your likes and dislikes? 
4. What shoes do you wear post-workout/ competition and during travel? 
- What are your likes and dislikes? 
5. Have you had any injuries in the past from high jump? 
- What about small pains or chronic pains? 
6. What muscles are usually sore after training and competition? 
7. What does an average day of training look like? 
8. What has been your longest travel trip in terms of flight time? 
9. Have you ever felt more sore or tight after flying or after a long bus ride? 
- Where did you feel this soreness or pain? 
10. If you were to design a trainer, a spike and a recovery shoe specifically for you, what 
would the key features be in each one? 
 
Questions for the high jump coach: 
1. What's the most important part of the high jump approach? 
2. What role does footwear play in the approach? How is it helpful? 
3. What muscles are used the most during high jump/ what are the most important muscles 
for high jump? 
4. What have been the most common injuries or pains you've seen in high jump? Explain 
why you think these injuries and pains are happening? 
5. What's the most important part of training for high jumpers? What does an average day 
look like? 
6. What is the role that training shoes for high jumpers during workouts?  
7. How can training shoes or features of a training shoe enhance training for high jumpers? 
8. What do high jumpers do to recover after workouts and competitions?  
9. If you were to design a trainer, a spike and a recovery shoe specifically for you, what 
would the key features be in each one? 
 
Questions for the athletic trainer: 
1. What injuries or pains do high jumpers come in with the most for treatment? Explain why 
this is and possible ways to prevent this. 
2. How do you treat these injuries or pains? Also, explain taping techniques for these 
injuries, specifically ankle taping.  
3. Do you think the current training shoes given to high jumpers are optimal for their 
training (plyometrics and sprint intervals)? Could there be improvements? What 
improvements would you make? 
4. How does air travel affect the muscles of athletes the night or morning after the 
competition?  
5. What are the ways to increase blood flow to parts of the body?  
6. What are features in a shoe that could help athletes post-workout and post-competition to 
recover faster?  
7. Certain solutions proposed by athletes and sports scientists have been to look into a high 
top silhouette for ankle stability and a lateral to medial sole gradation for stabilizing the 
foot on take off. What are your thoughts on these solutions?  
8. If you were to design a trainer, a spike and a recovery shoe specifically for you, what 
would the key features be in each one? 
 
Questions for Daniel Schuster and Eric Holmes:  
1. What are the benefits of a zero drop shoe compared to an average offset shoe? 
2. Should there be energy-returning properties in a shoe using a carbon fiber plate? Or does 
that defeat the purpose of a training shoe? 
3. What are the benefits and drawbacks to a lateral to medial sole incline? 
4. How would you tackle the distortion of the high jump spike on take-off? What do you 
think is the major problem? 
5. What are your thoughts on an insole with a heel to toe incline to help stretch the calf 
muscles? 
6. Have you done anything in either footwear or apparel that helps increase blood flow to 
areas of the body? 
7. Any recommendations on either the trainer, spike or recovery shoe? 
 
Questions for Brad Wilkins: 
1. How does air travel affect the muscles of athletes the night or morning after the 
competition? 
2. What are the ways to increase blood flow to the parts of the body? 
3. What are the things I should know about compression? Does it really work and how can I 
make it work the best for my problem? 
4. If you were to design a trainer, a spike and a recovery shoe specifically for you, what 
would the key features be in each one? 
5. Here are other proposed solutions to some of the shoes, what are your thoughts?  
 
What I Learned 
I’ll be breaking down what I learned into the 3 methods of research I mentioned above, 
footwear performance, foot data, and athlete research. As explained above I used a high-speed 
camera and iPhone to capture the take-off step to better observe the function of the shoes. I not 
only looked at the competition aspect of high jump but also recorded and observed the training 
and warm-ups the athletes did.  
Starting with the athlete’s warm-ups, they would go for a slow jog and then get into 
dynamic stretching. This would consist of a lot of continuous forefoot landing and pushing off. 
Skips, high knees, lateral shuffles, and more were all apart of the warm-up. Moving towards 
training which consists of plyometrics and sprint intervals, there was also a lot of forefoot 
landing and pushing off. Athletes used their forefoot to push forward in order to gain speed to 
sprint and would continue to land and push off from their midfoot/ forefoot. Heel striking would 
come into play when they would slow down or walk. Athletes during plyometrics would use 
their forefoot to push off the ground to jump but heel striking would come more into play when 
landing or when gathering momentum from running to jumping. Some athletes showed me the 
bottom of their trainers to explain that the rubber wears down on the shoes really fast due to the 
amount of usage of the forefoot of the shoe. 
 
Image of the wear pattern on the bottom of the training shoes: 
 
 
Images of landing mechanics of shoes during sprint intervals and plyometrics: 
 
 
For the observation of the high jump spikes, I set up my camera as close to the landing pit 
as possible to get enough of a detailed recording. From the beginning of the approach, the high 
jumpers would rock back and forth just before they push forward. Once they do, they are all on 
their forefoot. The first 5 to 6 steps are straight so the spikes seem to be working as functioned. 
Once the athletes start turning, the upper on the right foot will start to shift laterally because of 
the mediolateral forces. The curve takes about another 5 to 6 steps, but they are all shorter than 
the first 5 to 6 straight steps. The slow-motion video reveals that when the athlete plants on 
take-off, the foot rotates inward putting extra strain on the medial side of the foot, ankle and 
sometimes the knee. This inward rotation happens every time but some are more extreme than 
others. The more extreme rotations can cause distortion in the spikes which makes them 
nonoptimal to jump off. Taking a closer look at the take-off step, the spikes seem to twist, 
leaving the foot and ankle unsupported. 
 
 
 
Images of inward rotation of the spike that causes distortion: 
 
The next research method is to gather data on the foot, specifically pressure that the foot 
engages in when performing. Getting this data would be easier and more accurate with a pressure 
insole that could display the data into a pressure map, but I didn't have one. I resorted to how the 
high jumpers perceived the pressure and had them draw it out on a high jump approach template 
I made. After multiple athletes explained to me where they felt pressure on each step and drew it 
out, I put together an accumulated version. I broke up the approach into 2 parts, the straight away 
and the curve. The pressure maps for the straight away consisted of forefoot only contact since 
the athletes were running straight. The curve also consisted of forefoot pressure but with more 
variation between medial and lateral pressures. On the left foot, there was more medial pressure 
on the foot and on the right foot, there was more lateral pressure on the foot. 
I broke up the take-off phase into 4 parts, the initial contact, full contact, medial transfer 
and toe-off. The initial contact is when the athlete first makes contact with the ground. The 
lateral heel is the first thing to strike the ground and has some of the highest pressure according 
to the high jumpers. The full-contact phase is when the foot has made full contact with the 
ground, creating a lot of pressure and force on the foot. The medial transfer phase is when force 
is transferring to the medial side of the foot, which can cause severe strain to the foot and ankle. 
The last phase which is the toe-off is the last push-off the athlete gets before taking off. The 
force by this point has mostly transferred to the medial MTP joints and toes. 
 
Pressure map sequences of the approach and take-off foot: 
 
The last method was athlete research which gave me a lot of good insight. I talked to 
athletes both in-person and online to get feedback on questions. The first athlete that I talked to 
was Ben Milligan, some of his feedback was he likes the new plate on the Nike spikes but likes 
the rounded sole of the Adidas spikes. The next athletes I talked to were at the University of 
Minnesota. The high jumpers told me about their injuries and pains that affect them on a daily 
basis. These were shin splints, ankle pains, Achilles soreness and heel bruising which multiple 
athletes have felt before.  
For their trainer, the athletes liked features such as lightweight, breathability, and 
comfortable. They disliked features such as forefoot cushioning, upper stability, and outsole 
durability. For their spikes, they liked features such as lightweight, heel support, and the plate. 
They disliked features such as ankle support, durability, and sharp edges on the plate. For the 
recovery, none of the athletes I talked to necessarily wore "recovery" shoes but rather old 
trainers, lifestyle/ casual shoes or sandals. When asked about their ideal recovery shoe, they 
noted that they would like them to have high cushioning, lightweight and comfortable. 
Other notable remarks from the athletes were that some asked for a high top spike that 
could add support to their ankles on their take-off step. One of the athletes who asked has had 
ankle injury problems and thought that having a high top spike would help. Some athletes also 
noted that they really liked the older models of spikes because of the outsole rubber wrap and the 
rounded edges of the sole. They said it felt better to land on the older spikes because of these 
features. I also asked about the athletes’ travel and flight times to understand how much traveling 
they're doing and what that experience is like. Some of the athletes would have flights that are 12 
hours away, this specific case was for a Worlds Championship meet in Doha, a very important 
meet. After flights, these athletes experience a lot of muscle tightness. Muscles and tendons in 
the feet and ankle were noted as being tight with also calf muscles. High jumpers are generally 
tall and lanky so their height can cause extra discomfort on planes due to small legroom. A lot of 
athletes also get heel or calcaneus bruising due to the harsh pounding during the initial contact 
phase of the take-off. One athlete sent me a picture of their spikes that showed that they have 
taken the back 4 spikes out of the heel because they feel like they slow him down. This 
asymmetrical spike preference is not rare but rather common in a lot of high jumper upon further 
research. Some high jumpers will wear completely different spikes during a competition to help 
them run faster and be more aggressive around the curve in the approach. High jumpers will 
wear high jump spikes on their jump foot and sprint spikes or mid-distance spikes on their 
non-jump foot. The sprint spikes will give them more of an aggressive grip and keep them on 
their toes while the other spikes give them more cushioning so there's not an imbalance between 
sole height. 
 
 
 
 
Images of athletes wearing 2 different spikes: 
 
 
 
Design Priorities and Design Briefs 
The collection is called the TCR Jump Collection and the design priorities are to make 
footwear that helps elite male high jumpers train better, jump higher and recover faster. The 
design priorities for the training shoe will be focusing on creating a shoe suited towards forefoot 
action instead of the traditional heel to toe shoe. The spikes design priorities will be to focus on 
how to better support the foot and stabilize the spike on take-off. The recovery shoe will focus on 
the specific injuries that high jumpers get during training and competition while taking into 
consideration their travel.  
Using strong and lightweight materials will be essential to creating this collection. 
Materials such as polyester, dyneema, and heat bonded TPU overlay will be used throughout the 
collection. A carbon fiber plate and a pebax plates will be used to give the shoes 
high-performance features for running faster and jumping higher. The recovery shoe will be 
focusing on injuries by using Celliant technology that helps encourage blood circulation. The 
Celliant technology will be printed onto the inside of the recovery upper. Colors used for the 
collection will be a hyper blue, volt orange, off-black, and silver sky. The colors were inspired 
by the karman line, the imaginary line separating the earths atmosphere and outer space.  
 
 
 
 
Training Shoe Design Brief and Product Direction:  
 
 
Competition Spike Design Brief and Product Direction: 
 
 
Recovery Shoe Design Brief and Product Direction: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ideation Process 
After research, I got into my ideation process. I started off by making a small chart for 
each shoe that helped organize the collection into different pieces of each shoe and how each 
piece can help improve the shoe. This helped me think about what pieces I wanted to focus on 
and what they could look like or how they can function.  
 
Training Chart: 
 
 
Competition Chart: 
 
 
Recovery Chart: 
 
 
After gathering thoughts on the mindmap, I had a more clear direction moving forward. 
Then I began to gather images to help inspire each shoe and put them into a mood board.  
 
Moodboards: 
 
 
At this stage, I was ready to start sketching and ideating. I began sketching for the trainer 
and focused a lot of straps, ways of locking the foot down, and different midsole silhouettes. The 
straps would help the foot stay locked down and conform to the foot. This would help the 
slipping around of the MTP joints in the shoe when jumping and landing. I also looked at using 
tactical cables to hold the foot to the sole. The cables would run across the upper and could be 
tightened by the shoelaces. While looking at the midsole, I wanted to focus better technology for 
cushioning towards the forefoot and have lighter and cheaper technology at the heel. I also 
looked at different ways the cushioning would compress and how it could maximize energy 
return as much as possible. 
 
Round 1 of Training Shoe Sketches: 
 
 
Next, I started sketching competition spikes and focused on a high top silhouette, ankle 
and medial stability, and plate technology. The high top silhouette would help wrap the ankle to 
give it some resistance from everting so much. The non-stretch fabric would also help keep the 
spike stay under the foot and not slide off. I also did a low cut spike for the non-jump foot so that 
it can be as mobile and fast as the athlete needs it to be. Similar to the trainers, I also looked at 
straps to help the foot stay locked down. Fabric overlays and TPU hotmelts were used to look at 
increased medial support. For the plate/ midsole technology, I was inspired by the Adidas 
Springblade shoe to use for the propulsion properties in the spikes. By using little blades to 
compress and expand when force is applied, the spike will be able to return energy in an upward 
direction. This would help the athlete jump higher to clear the bar. I also looked at segmenting 
the plate to allow bet foot movement and mechanics to reduce injury.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Round 1 of Competition Spikes Sketches: 
 
 
Lastly, I started sketching the recovery shoe with a focus on fit, cushioning, and 
compression/ blood circulation. For fit, I used straps as a way to tackle this problem and since it's 
been used in my other shoes, this could be a unifying element. I wanted to use elastic banding to 
help mold around the foot and to keep the upper snug. I also want the upper to be compression 
which helps with blood flow. Since apart of the recovery shoes is looking at travel, compression 
will be a good choice for when feet swell up due to increased elevation. I also thought about how 
the foot is going to get into the shoe and easy ways of doing this. I added flaps with velcro 
around the ankle to allow easy access into the shoe because taking a long time to get a shoe will 
get annoying and the user won't wear it. I took inspiration from basic sandals since they are used 
a lot for post-workout and to wear comfortably. I used the dorsal flap that goes over the foot for 
some designs that gives the foot freedom but also keeps it in place. Lastly, the shoe eventually 
took on a new silhouette from a high top to a knee-high. This was to attend the calf muscles and 
the achilles tendon since according to athlete feedback, these areas get sore. The knee-high will 
be compression to alleviate the pains, tightness, and injuries.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Round 1 of Recovery Shoe Sketches: 
 
After feedback from initial sketches, I narrowed down ideas and certain looks to carry on. 
Strap systems carried on throughout the process in each shoe. I explored different shapes and 
forms of straps to see if any could be used for either one of the shoes Segmented midsole 
developed to give the athlete flex grooves for movement and to also work as a design element 
with the upper. In the training shoe, I looked further into how to strap can wrap around the foot 
through the midsole to sandwich the foot. Sidewalls that extrude onto the upper to act as a 
reinforcement for the forefoot. The carbon fiber plate designs looked at looping the plate to 
provide a new innovative way to better improve the athletes’ plyometrics and sprint intervals. 
The spike explored flexed grooves to guide energy to certain areas for propulsion and also 
looked at the bending of the plate to resist lateral medial distortion. Looking at exploded views 
of the sole to better understand how the plate and midsole technology work together helped me 
realize that the plates should be combined. Combining the plates makes the blade technology 
work better, makes it easier to model and creates fewer parts to make. The recovery shoe 
explored alternative options to the knee-high such as a calf sleeve but the designs eventually 
stuck with the knee-high design. A ribbing compression that follows the calf muscle and achilles 
tendon is a prominent design feature. The midsole is cut into 3 to offer natural foot mobility but 
also high cushioning.  
The rest of ideation for the training shoe: 
  
 
The rest of ideation for the competition spike: 
 
 
The rest of ideation for the recovery shoe: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exploration of strap form and shape: 
 
Final direction for the TCR Jump Collection: 
 
 
Major updates to the collection included a redesign of the trainer and minor tweaks to the 
competition spike and recovery boot. The updated concept direction of the trainer focused on 
improved stability within the midsole, where I decided to eliminate the flex grooves and instead 
keep the forefoot as one integrated piece. By doing so, this increased forefoot surface area, which 
is important as the athlete's plyometric activities find them more on their toes than their heels. 
Additionally, this midfoot stability was supplemented by creating a midfoot lip around the 
medial and lateral MTP joints. This will better support the foot in the case of any inversion or 
eversion brought about by high impact exercises. Lastly, continuing off of the idea to improve 
stability, I integrated the heel counter into the midsole tooling. The purpose of this was to 
surround the heel with structured cushioning limiting shifting of the foot within the shoe.  
When finalizing the concept direction for the spike prototype, I decided to simplify my 
plan of going about ankle support. Originally, I wanted to use a flexible 3D printed part to 
reinforce the ankle. When thinking about the comfort of the foot, I didn't want to cause any 
friction between the achilles tendon and the 3D printed part. The new concept instead brought 
support through material choices of the upper, which also helped decrease the weight of the 
spike. The material I chose to use was a heavy duty ripstop. This brought structure to the ankle 
without needing a rigid piece to do the same function.  
The overall concept direction for the recovery boot remained nearly the same for this 
final iteration. The only change being the removal of an external heel cup. This was to improve 
comfort and reduce friction on the calcaneus, similar to the logic of the spike. 
 
Updated trainer ideation: 
 
Updated Final Concept: 
 
 
 
Prototyping 
Figuring out the final direction gave me the opportunity to start prototyping the shoes. I 
had previous upper patterns from another spike project I did, but I had to start from scratch for 
my training and recovery shoe. After taping the last and finalizing pattern pieces, I could start 
prototyping. I started with scrap materials with similar properties as what I imagined my final 
material to be. I also did material exploration with different textures and hot melt layering. This 
gives the material extra strength and leaves an interesting texture. I made about 10 different 
swatches that I could use for the upper of my shoes. I started with my trainer which I made from 
a basic mesh and I stitched an elastic strap to the strobel stitch. I played with TPU layering to 
help stabilize certain areas such as the toe box and heel. For the spike prototype, I used mesh and 
covered up the vamp stitch up the middle with bemis tape. I used the textured TPU layering for 
the medial side as reinforcements. I also stitched on elastic bands to the strobel stitching to act as 
the banding that wraps around the foot. For the recovery shoe, I started out by trying to make a 
last but ended up just using mannequins leg as a place holder. I used the trainer pattern pieces for 
the recovery shoe and then draped for the knee-high portion. I used mesh for the foot and a 
stretch woven paired with a polyester ribbing for the calf. For the over the foot strap, I took foam 
and heat pressed TPU hotmelt over it to capture the shape. I stitched the ends to the strobel 
stitching which helps conform and mold the foam strap around the foot.  
Images of the prototypes for the TCR Jump Collection: 
 
 
After creating the upper prototypes, next was to go into CAD, specifically Rhino 
software, to create the midsoles and plates. Throughout the collection, all the midsoles have a 
segmented look that portrays flexibility through the grooves while also following the design 
elements and principles of the upper. Each midsole utilizes this in different ways to ensure that 
the shoe is functioning to the best of its capabilities.  
The trainer midsole is segmented into 3 segments, the heel, the midfoot and the forefoot. 
The heel segmented is made for the landing and grip. The crease line at the heel allows the 
midsole to bend slightly to allow better impact protection when landing. The midfoot segment 
acts as a stabilizing piece but allows for flexibility. The forefoot is the biggest segment because 
of how much use and force are applied to this section of the shoe. Having a bigger surface area 
allows more traction, more protection, and more stability while also still allowing flexibility. The 
sidewall of the forefoot segment extrudes up to help keep the foot from sliding. In regards to the 
traction, the key elements are lightweight, natural movement and grip. The traction is a graphene 
infused rubber and weighs the same as normal rubber, which is relatively heavy compared to 
other materials used in footwear. The heel and the midsole segment are designed to keep the 
shoe lighter by using slivers of the rubber instead of a continuous piece. The forefoot has thicker 
pieces of rubber to provide longevity of traction. The grooves are places to give the foot natural 
movement when bending the foot.  
 
Images of the training midsole: 
 
Updated training midsole: 
 
 
The competition spike is split into a total of 2 segments, but visually still works within 
the collection because the heel wraps around to the forefoot to give it a 3 segmented look. The 
combination of the midsole and plate gives the spike better movement, cushioning and 
propulsion. The segments or the outer wrap is made from high impact foam which acts as a 
better cushioning system to hit the ground first than a pebax plate. Athlete feedback showed that 
high jumpers liked the outer foam better but still like the propulsion and responsiveness of the 
plate. The outer foam allows the high jumper to plant their foot more comfortably compared to 
an outer plate. The foam outerwrap isn’t segmented on the medial side because high jumpers role 
over onto the medial side of the foot and want as much stability and cushioning during the phase. 
With the plate offset into the midsole, it's made to give high jumpers, even more, push off force 
than before. The added blades on the forefoot portion of the plate bends when enough force is 
applied and increase the amount of returned energy. Being made with pebax plastic is a big 
reason why the plate works, giving the plate high elasticity, rigidness and keeping it lightweight.  
 
Images of the spike midsole and plate: 
 
Updated spike midsole and plate:  
 
The recovery shoe has 2 segments on the lateral side and 3 segments on the medial side. 
The main purpose of the recovery shoe is to help relieve pains and aches in high jumpers after 
workouts and competitions. The recovery shoe is highlighted by its dual-density foam. The top 
layer is a softer and more cushioned foam to allow the foot to lay in a more natural and 
comfortable position. This layer helps for impact protection and slightly extrudes up to help 
stabilize the foot from moving too much. The bottom layer is a more classic footwear foam such 
as EVA that is used to help the top layer from moving too much and to help stabilize the shoe in 
general. This layer will also slightly add to the cushioning and impact protection properties of the 
midsole. This also gives the traction a solid surface to be placed to help it function better. The 
traction follows the grooves of the midsole lines help also represent the striking pattern of the 
foot.  
 
 
 
Images of the recovery shoe midsole:  
 
 
Updated Recovery midsole: 
 
 
After finishing the 3D models of the midsole in Rhino, I printed them out so I could create a 
mold and cast them with foam. The process started with making a perimeter with foam core to 
encapsulate the Smooth-On mold star 30 around the 3D printed midsole. After creating a 2 part 
mold and letting it dry for 6 hours, I was able to pour flexible polyurethane foam into the mold. 
This allowed me to create a functional midsole for my prototypes. 
 
Pictures of the midsole process: 
 
 
Validation Plan 
The products must prove that the concepts work by giving validation in various ways. 
The training shoe must prove that the athlete feels more locked down compared to the other 
shoes they wear. This will be done by using common trainers used by athletes such as the Nike 
structures, Adidas solardrive, etc. and comparing them to my design. I will have 3 athletes 
partake in this test and have them walk around and do little jumps. I will ask them on a scale 
from 1 to 10 how stable their forefoot was when moving. The higher the score, the more secure 
the shoe is. Other features that are going to be tested are the lower drop sole and carbon fiber 
plate. The lower drop will be a perception test to see if they feel any difference between sole 
heights compared to the baseline and my design. I will have them walk around and do little 
jumps to get a better feel for the shoes. I will ask them what are the biggest differences between 
the shoes, is one more comfortable and can they feel the lower drop. The carbon fiber plate will 
be tested using the grasshopper plug-in, Millipede which can create stress on the plate to see 
where it is. This stress will indicate how much energy is being returned and where the energy is 
being guided. The more stress on the plate without breaking, the more efficient the plate is. 
The competition spike will go through a similar testing process of having the same 3 
athletes wear a common baseline spike and compare it to my design. My design must be able to 
make the athlete feel more locked down compared to the baseline which will be either the Nike 
Zoom HJ spikes or the Adidas HJ spikes. I will have the 3 athletes walk around and do little 
jumps and will ask them to rate each shoe on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being absolutely no 
lockdown and 10 being extreme lockdown. Other features being tested will be the slanted sole to 
see how the athlete feels walking straight and on a curve, and jumping around. The testing of this 
is to see if the slanted sole is uncomfortable, more uncomfortable or not noticeable. Perception 
feedback on the high top silhouette is also important because this is a feature asked for and is a 
new style. Lastly, the spike plate will be validated through the grasshopper plug-in, Millipede. 
The software will be able to map the stress on the plate to see generally how much of the plate is 
returning energy.  
 
Example of results from the Millipede plug-in to show stress mapping; grey means there's stress 
and black means there’s no stress: 
 
The validation plan for the recovery shoe will be a perception test to see how the athlete 
likes the cushioning, knee-high compression and any other small features. I'm currently talking 
to Celliant to see if I'm able to use some of their material for this shoe. With the coronavirus 
pandemic, communication is slow and getting the material might not work out. If I can get the 
material and use it for my recovery shoe, I would like to test it by either wearing it on a plane or 
giving it to someone to wear it while traveling. This would give me feedback on if the recovery 
shoe works in a traveling setting.  
If I'm not able to get to athletes due to covid-19, I will set up a video conference with 
athletes back home from Minnesota to show them and ask them what they think of the collection. 
I'll go into detail about each shoe to best explain to them what they have to offer.  
 
 
 
Packaging 
I wanted to create a shoe box that resembled the lines and shapes in the collection. I also 
wanted to resemble the transparency of the spike plate with the packaging, because I want them 
to see the technology or see the shoe. When the box unrolls, it reveals graphics explaining each 
shoe and how it works. The sides are made with tinted transparent plastic while the rest of the 
box is made of cardboard. Having the box unroll reveals information about the shoe and 
collection that the athlete usually never receives or understands. It's important for the athlete to 
understand and trust in the product that they're wearing.  
Example of packaging and trainer graphics on the inside of the box: 
Presentation Plans for Spring Term 
For my presentation, I plan on displaying my work on a table so I can layout my work. 
Since my shoes have multiple parts to them, I want to set up exploded views of them to show 
each part and to better explain how the shoes work. I will be using a narrow rigid tube and clear 
string to make this structure stand. I will have to pierce through each part with the tube so that it 
stays where I'd like it too. The main reason for doing this is to show the plate technology in both 
the trainers and the spikes. The recovery shoe has a dual-density foam with an interesting insole 
so that's what will be showcased for that shoe. Along with the exploded views, I will be creating 
packaging for the shoes to be sold in. Since it's a collection, the shoebox will be one big box 
comprised of the three shoes. In each compartment, I will be making an 8x5 pamphlet so 
showcase and explain what each shoe does. The shoebox and pamphlets will allow me to show 
off graphic elements throughout the collection and to use my graphic design background. Lastly, 
I'll set up 3 poster boards for each of the shoes to briefly explain how each of them works.  
 
Inspiration for Presentation Layout: 
 
 
 
Spring Term Work Plan 
Prototype Plan: 
 
Validation Plan: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Presentation: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Work Cited 
 
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Alger, K. (2019, February 18). Could a pair of pajamas really improve your running? 
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Bryan, N. (2019, June 11). Innovative & Revolutionary Nitric Oxide Skin Serum Launched to 
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ched-to-improve-signs-of-aging-for-women-over-40. 
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https://www.carbon3d.com/white-papers/carbon-lattice-innovation-the-adidas-story/. 
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Dale, P. (2016, July 14). Skills Needed for the High Jump. Retrieved December 8, 2019, from 
https://woman.thenest.com/skills-needed-high-jump-20155.html. 
Dapena, J. (2000). The High Jump. ​Biomechanics in Sport​, 284–311. doi: 
10.1002/9780470693797.ch14 
Dapena, J. (2002). The Evolution of High Jumping Technique: Biomechanical Analysis, 3–7. 
Retrieved from 
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/23e7/b9ea20f05abe85480b28ec6d8a0a665f3818.pdf 
Dick Fosbury. (2019, December 2). Retrieved December 10, 2019, from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Fosbury. 
Gill Essentials NFHS High Jump Landing Pit Valuepack 16'Lx8'Wx24"H, VP405. (n.d.). 
Retrieved December 10, 2019, from 
https://www.anthem-sports.com/gill-vp405-essentials-high-jump-landing-pit-valuepack.ht
ml?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2sDj65-n5gIVD9VkCh0CZgQeEAQYASABEgIYa_D_BwE. 
Hall, B. (2017, January 13). Is Bio-Ceramic Clothing Legit? Examining The Science Behind 
Tom Brady's Fancy Pajamas. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from 
https://www.stack.com/a/is-bio-ceramic-clothing-legit-examining-the-science-behind-tom-
bradys-fancy-pajamas. 
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https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/jumps/high-jump. 
High Jump - Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2019, from 
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/high_jump/high_jump_rules.htm. 
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https://www.dimasport.fr/en/content/29-high-jump. 
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     IAAF. “IAAF Competition Rules 2018-2019.” 2017. 
Jubb, G. (2013, September 9). adidas adizero Boston 4 Running Shoe (Video). Retrieved 
December 9, 2019, from 
https://www.holabirdsports.com/blogs/news/adidas-adizero-boston-4-running-shoe-video. 
Lindberg, S. (2019, July 11). What Muscles Do You Use on the Vertical Jump? Retrieved 
December 15, 2019, from 
https://www.livestrong.com/article/111553-muscles-use-vertical-jump/. 
Longo, A., Siffredi, C., Cardey, M., Aquilino, G., & Lentini, N. (2016). Age of peak 
performance in Olympic sports: A comparative research among disciplines. Retrieved 
from https://rua.ua.es/dspace/bitstream/10045/61889/1/jhse_Vol_11_N_1_31-41.pdf 
Lopez, C. (2013, March 12). Change Management and High Jump. Retrieved December 9, 
2019, from https://carloselopez.com/2011/12/28/change-management-and-high-jump/. 
 
Maraviglia, M. (2019, April 7). High jump, when height does not matter: records in 
differential. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from 
https://www.trackarena.com/19657/high-jump-when-height-does-not-matter-records-in-dif
ferential. 
Olympic High Jump London 2012 Montage - Pentax User Photo Gallery. (2013, January 19). 
Retrieved December 8, 2019, from 
https://www.pentaxforums.com/gallery/photo-olympic-high-jump-london-2012-37610/. 
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https://travelingtrackster.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/track-field-peak-athletic-age/. 
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December 8, 2019, from https://www.pebaxpowered.com/en/pebax-technology/. 
Plyometrics. (2019, November 15). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plyometrics. 
Turner, P. (n.d.). Preseason Conditioning for the High Jump. Retrieved December 15, 2019, 
from https://elitetrack.com/article_files/turnerhj.pdf. 
Van De Walle, G. (2018, April 26). 5 Ways to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally. Retrieved 
December 8, 2019, from 
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-increase-nitric-oxide#section6. 
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10). Retrieved December 9, 2019, from 
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/how-adidas-and-carbon-made-a-3d-printed-shoe-2018-
9. 
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2019, from 
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?regionType=world&page=65&bestResultsOnly=false. 
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https://sites.google.com/site/yijen95/technical-aspects/the-approach. 
 
 
WINTER PROCESS 2019
N AT E  R O E S E
OVERVIEW
My capstone is a footwear collection that is tailored to 
the unique demands of elite high jumpers; from 
training, to competition through to recovery. This 
collection will better support the needs of the athlete in 
training, creating a shoe with improved stability and 
responsiveness at the forefoot, in competition, in the 
design of a spike with improved propulsive properties 
on push off, and recovery, with footwear designed to 
actively aid in foot strains and injuries. 
BIOMECHANICAL NEEDS IAAF RULES CURRENT PRODUCTS
Training on forefoot, force 11 spikes, 13mm in forefoot and Various training shoe and lack of 
direction, increasing blood flow 19mm in heel innovation in recovery shoe
ATHLETE RESEARCH FOOTWEAR PERFORMANCE BIOMECHANICS RESEARCH
trInasiniginhgts o fnro fmor ecofoaocth, etisg, htrta cinuervres , 11S espei kheosw, 1 w3emllm th ien  ffooretwfoeoatr  aisn d VaSripoeucsi fitrca fioniontgw eshaor en eaends l acnkd  of 
COM, ianncrde atshel ebtleoso d flow funct1io9nminmg  idn uhreinegl  use innovatiofno iont  rdeactoavery shoe
q&A and observation slow mo video analysis BIOMECHANICS consulting
Watch warm ups, training, & Capture video of the last step of Talk to sports biomechanists 
recovery, and all the small details the approach and get feedback on ideas
MEETING ATHLETES IN PERSON RECORD ATHLETES JUMPING SHOW PROTOTYPES AND IDEAS
Understand high jump better Record my own data and get Have athletes touch and see 
and get more insightful info live/ up to date footage prototypes and ideas
MINNEAPOLIS, MN EUGENE, OR LUBBOCK, TX*
1/29 - 2/2  Date pending 1/23 - 1/25 or 2/13 - 2/16  
Athlete insight and video Meet with Mike Hahn, who Considered one of the best high 
footage of high jumpers at track works at the Bowerman SS jump schools in the nation, 
meet. Meeting with high jump Clinic, to discuss high jump retrieve coach and athlete 
coach, trainers and 4 high biomechanics, footwear needs insight and video footage of 
jumpers and ideas. high jumpers. 
Adidas feedback
Product Testing Managers: 
Daniel Schuster and Eric Holmes 
Offset: neutral vs. drop 
Energy return in training shoes 
Carbon fiber plate: restrictions on the foot 
Mediolateral incline w/ side walls 
Footwear references to look at 
High top vs. low top 
Effects of heel to toe incline 
Blood flow & stimulation 
UW indoor preview
PLYOMETRICS SPRINT INTERVALS
VIDEO ANALYSIS ATHLETE INSIGHT
Forefoot focused Mid-forefoot focused 
Landing mechanics Form & push off mechanics 
responsive/ energy return responsive/ energy return 
lightweight lightweight 
cushioning cushioning 
upper stability upper stability
SLOW MOTION video
take off foot images
BEN MILLIGAN
pains, injuries, and soreness: 
ACL, LCL and meniscus tear (basketball). Strained soleus on jump leg. 

Shin splints on jump leg and some ankle pains.

Most sore in the lower back. Hamstrings after training. 

trainers & spikes likes & dislikes: 
Nike Pegasus 36: A little more cushioning in the forefoot. Wants it a little 

heavier and firmer cushioning so foot isn’t moving so much. Likes that 

it is a dynamic shoe. 

Nike Zoom HJ Elite Spikes: Upper feels stiff and not wide enough (flat feet). 

Slippage on take off phase, more secure feeling spike. Likes the flat outsole 

and is light. Favorite pair are the Adidas HJ spikes. rounded outsole is nice. 

Uses Nike Metcon for lifting.

Travel & recovery: 
6-7 hour flight, whole day traveling wearing the same shoes. No extra 

soreness but just tired. Likes to wear Nike React for cushioning.

Air max 95 and joyrides are also nice. 
athlete feedback
injuries trainers spikes recovery 
Shin splints
 Like:  Like: Flight Soreness: 
Achilles soreness
 Lightweight
 Lightweight
 Muscles in feet & ankle

Ankle sprains
 Breathable
 Heel support
 Calf muscles

Heel bruising
 Durability
 Flat sole
 Knee & Hips

Soleus soreness
 Comfortable

Knee pain
 Dislike: Ideal Shoe: 
Hamstring soreness
 Dislike: Durability
 Cushioning

Forefoot cushioning
 Ankle Support
 Lightweight

Reasons are from running tight Upper stability
 Cushioning
 Comfortable

turns, incorrect planting Fit
 Outsole material
 Breathable

technique and competition in Bulky
 Dorsal/ Mid-foot Fit
 Easy to get on

general Outsole durability

6-12 hour flight // whole 
day traveling wearing the 
same shoes
insight
foot data research
Take-off point
Start of the curve
Start of the approach
foot pressure
The approach TAKE OFF
Straight Curve Initial Contact Full Contact Medial Transfer Toe Off
foot soreness data
Left Right Jump Foot
MTP & General 
Forefoot Pain
Achilles 
Arch Pains Tendon Dorsal Extensors 
Pain
Calcaneus Anterior Talofibular 
Bruising Ligament Strain
areas for improvement
Sole Formation Adequate Heel Cushioning Compression Upper Insole Support
trainer ideation
spike ideation
recovery ideation

stress test
upper prototypes



my aspirations
TRACK & FIELD / RUNNING HIGH PERFORMANCE INNOVATION
mentorship
OTHER INSIGHTS: 
DANIEL SCHUSTER
Footwear Product Tester 
adidas 
SARA NOVAK ERIC HOLMES
Footwear Designer - Running Product Testing Manager
adidas adidas
MIKE FRITON
Footwear Design Innovator 
Ex Nike/ MF Design Studio
T.C.R. JUMP COLLECTION
TRAINING, COMPETITION AND RECOVERY SHOES FOR ELITE MALE HIGH JUMPERS
NATE ROESE

training
recovery
competition
OVERVIEW
My capstone is a footwear collection that is tailored 
to the unique demands of elite male high jumpers; 
from training, to competition through to recovery. 
This collection will better support the needs of the 
athlete in training, creating a shoe with improved 
stability and responsiveness at the forefoot, in 
competition, in the design of a spike with improved 
propulsive properties on push off, and recovery, 
with footwear designed to actively aid in foot strains 
and injuries. 
TRIANING competition Recovery
Plyometrics The Approach Injuries 
Forefoot // Landing Mechanics Speed // Tight Curve Foot Pains // Ankle Sprains 
Responsive // Cushioning Lightweight // Supportive Shin Splints // Knee Pains
Sprint Intervals Take Off Methods 
Forefoot // Form Mechanics  High Force // Injuries Icing // Compression 
Lightweight // Responsive Durable // Supportive Performance Fabrics
RESEARCH
ATHLETE RESEARCH FOOTWEAR PERFORMANCE Foot data RESEARCH
Insights from coaches, trainers 1S1e sep hikoews,  1w3emllm th ien  ffoooretfwoeoat ra nisd  VSaprioeucisfi tcra fionointgw eshaor en eanedd sla acnkd o f 
and athletes funct1io9nminmg  idn uhreinegl  use indnioffvearteionnt  fino oret cporveesrsyu srheose
INSIGHT
COLLEGIATE PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Ben Milligan // 7’ 2.5" Ryan Lockard // 7’ 3" nick bachinski // 7’ 0.50” LUCA WIELAND // 7’ 2.5" Adri glebauskas // 7’ 5" zach seigmeier // HJ Coach
Ben Gucinski // 7’ 1" michael burke // 7’ 3” danny schiller // 7’ 0.25” shelby Mcewen // 7’ 7” kevin schultz// 7’ 2.5” KATIE MADDEN // TRAINER
athlete feedback
injuries trainers spikes recovery 
Shin splints
 Like:  Like: Flight Soreness: 
Achilles soreness
 Lightweight
 Lightweight
 Muscles in feet & ankle

Ankle sprains
 Breathable
 Heel support
 Calf muscles

Heel bruising
 Durability
 Flat sole
 Knee & Hips

Soleus soreness
 Comfortable

Knee pain
 Dislike: Ideal Shoe: 
Hamstring soreness
 Dislike: Durability
 Cushioning

Forefoot cushioning
 Ankle Support
 Lightweight

Reasons are from running tight Upper stability
 Cushioning
 Comfortable

turns, incorrect planting Fit
 Outsole material
 Breathable

technique and competition in Bulky
 Dorsal/ Mid-foot Fit
 Easy to get on

general Outsole durability

6-12 hour flight // whole 
day traveling wearing the 
same shoes
coach feedback
important part of approach muscles used the most 
Gaining speed from the start and Our jumpers are speed based which

maintaining it around curve as well
 means more force is applied on tendons 
as maintaining posture and fasciae than muscles
COMMON INJURIES average week of training 
Ankle injuries from an unstable take off A lot of speed work (10-20-30m sprints), 
and lower back injuries. And of course technical and mechanical work, box 
shin splints jumps, hurdle hops, bonding, etc.
Zach Seigmeier 
Minnesota High Jump Coach
 EFFECTS OF TRAVEL footwear review 
Not exactly sure but I assume they feel Not a lot of problems with the training 
sore, probably in their calves, feet and shoe. Jumpers will blow through the toe

maybe knees in the spikes during take off
Recovery: compression and something lightweight and move well - natural movement. Put muscles in the best position for optimal recovery. 
trainer feedback
common injuries treatments for injuries 
Achilles and lower back are big. Men are Effleurage massage, mobility exercises, 
more predisposed to ankle injuries. A lot standard taping, sometimes will reinforce 
depends on body mechanics with thicker tape for competitions
current training shoes effects of travel 
Training shoes seem to be okay. A big Dehydration, and muscles definitely get 
offset could cause more stress fractures tighter. Elevation change causes more 
but a small offset is fine. swelling for injuries.
KATIE MADDEN 
Minnesota Athletic Trainer
 blood circulation recommendations 
Usually we will use compression to Trainer-reduce impact but still supportive 
increase blood flow. Heat also helps to Spike-more support & stability for ankle

dilate blood vessels. Recovery-compression, light, & moves well 
FOOTWEAR PERFORMANCE
UNIV. OF WASHINGTON UNIV. OF MINNESOTA 
Slow motion - warm ups
Slow motion - training
areas for improvement
Forefoot Cushioning Durable Outsole Lower Offset Forefoot Upper Stability
slow motion - spikes
TAKE OFF FOOT
SLOW Motion - spikes
TAKE OFF FOOT
areas for improvement
Firmer Medial Foam Plate Torsion Stronger Medial Upper Better Ankle Support 
foot data research
Take-off point
Start of the curve
Start of the approach
foot pressure
The approach TAKE OFF
Straight Curve Initial Contact Full Contact Medial Transfer Toe Off
foot soreness data
Left Right Jump Foot
MTP & General 
Forefoot Pain
Achilles 
Arch Pains Tendon Dorsal Extensors 
Pain
Calcaneus Anterior Talofibular 
Bruising Ligament Strain
areas for improvement
Sole Formation Adequate Heel Cushioning Compression Upper Insole Support
DESIGN BRIEF // TRAINING
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Design training shoes for elite male high Upper reinforcements for  
jumpers that focuses on forefoot cushioning increase foot stability 
and responsiveness while keeping the shoe 
comfortable and lightweight Propulsive properties for a more  
responsive feel 
FOB $35 // Retail $140 
Midsole plate for optimal  
Spring 2024 for Paris Olympics energy return 
Cushioning / Lockdown / Durability Low foot drop for an 
optimal foot position 
 
PRODUCT direction // TRAINING
Polyester // Dyneema // TPU overlay Engineered mesh upper Cooling Energy Palette 
37.5 technology // Pebax foam Injection molding for midsole Sunrise Orange // Midnight Blue 
Graphene rubber // Carbon fiber plate Vacuum form carbon fiber plate Charcoal Black
trainer ideation
DESIGN BRIEF // competition
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Design competition spikes for elite male high Insole configuration for increasing COM 
jumpers who jump off the left foot that during take off 
increases propulsion on take off while locking 
down the foot and supporting the ankle Midsole plate for optimal 
propulsive properties 
FOB $30 // Retail $120  
Upper reinforcements on jump 
Spring 2024 for Paris Olympics foot for foot lockdown 
Support / Propulsion / Lockdown High top silhouette for ankle and 
foot stability 
 
PRODUCT direction // competition
Polyester // Non woven // TPU overlay Laser cut upper, heat press TPU Cooling Energy Palette 
Pebax foam and spike plate Injection molding for midsole Sunrise Orange // Midnight Blue 
37.5 Technology 3D printed spike plate Charcoal Black
spike ideation
DESIGN BRIEF // RECOVERY
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Design a recovery shoe for elite male high Upper technology to increase blood 
jumpers that aids in foot pains and injuries circulation to the feet 
while being extremely comfortable, breathable 
and supportive Sole incline to actively 
stretch calf muscles 
FOB $25 // Retail $100 
Stimulating and cushioning sole to 
Spring 2024 for Paris Olympics rejuvenate muscles and joints in the feet 
Circulation / Cushioning / Support Interchangeable sole for 
customizable fit and feel 
 
PRODUCT direction // recovery
Polyester knit upper // Elastane Industrial knitting machine Cooling Energy Palette 
Oofos Foam // Recycled rubber Injection molding for midsole Sunrise Orange // Midnight Blue 
37.5 Technology // Celliant Heat press Charcoal Black
recovery ideation
final direction
Jobs To Be Done - Presentation
Week 1-2 Prototypes 
Week 3-4 Validation - Order presentations materials 
Week 5-6 Validation/ Final Prototype - Start laying out packaging and prints for display, prep parts for exploded view
Week 7-8 Work fully on completing packaging, pamphlets and the exploded view. Have big prints for boards ready to print 
Week 9-10 Finish up any loose ends and practice presentation. 
Jobs To Be Done - Validation
Week 1-2 Prototypes prepped for validation 
Week 3-4 Validate shoes with 3 athletes. Depending on virus, I would have to stay here and use athletes in the area or go back to Minnesota 
Week 5-6 Validation/ Final Prototype - Start laying out packaging and prints for display, prep parts for exploded view
Week 7-8 Work fully on completing packaging, pamphlets and the exploded view. Have big prints for boards ready to print 
Week 9-10 Finish up any loose ends and practice presentation. 
TRAINING
Upper collar Insole Midsole plate Outsole
Heel counter & Textured collar for More dense foam Thin gel layer Waved plate to Durable outsole to cushioning achilles cushioning a little extra padding in forefoot in forefoot allow cushioning protect midsole and foam Ergonomic design but also return energy cushioning
responsive Lightweight material Snug fit to keep Energy returning Energy return foam 
Optimized design and 
shape for forefoot  Graphene infused rubber Non intrusive design heel in place foam Firmer layer of foam push off for traction
durability Forefoot reinforcements on Fabric with high More dense foam 
High quality foam 
with a wall that covers Graphene infused rubber both lateral and medial strength in forefoot the upper to protect Carbon fiber  plate for traction
upper from ripping
COMPETITION
Upper collar Insole Midsole plate spikes
TPU support  
support High top ankle support structure in lining Left foot medial wall 
Slanted  midsole Slanted plate to Spike placement 
with thicker / rigid materials to resist ankle cushioning to support foot on encourage vertical 
evertion curve and take off force
to allow better support
propulsion Denser foam with Snug foam lining Denser foam with Energy return foam 
Optimized design and 
energy return to keep foot in place energy return Firmer layer of foam shape inspired by take 
Graphene or nanotube 
off foot pressures spikes - really lightweight
Left foot medial reinforcement 
lockdown Right foot lateral reinforcement Snug foam lining Curved insole to 
Slanted midsole to Ergonomic shaped Spike placement 
Lightweight & non stretch to keep foot in place keep foot centered keep foot on top of plate to help foot to encourage foot to 
around forefoot sole - better lockdown lay naturally stay in place
recovery
Upper collar Insole Midsole OUTSOLE
Compression PR sole inspired Shaped to allow High traction to 
circulation upper to increase Bioceramic bumps for stimulating infused lining the foot - ergonomic foot to lay in natural allow other parts of blood flow and interchangeable position the shoe to work properly
Breathable and form 
comfort fitting upper Soft and stretchy 
High cushioning Segmented outsole 
lining insole - interchangeable 
OOFOS cushioning 
Knit/ Elastane Ortholite foam for ultimate 
to allow midsole 
cushioning
Midfoot support strap Foam in lining Cushioning insole Structure midsole Ultimate traction 
support and high cushioning to have snug fit to support foot to support arches 
on heel on heel in the best resting and natural foot 
to keep foot where it’s 
position position suppose to be
T.C.R. JUMP 
SPRING PROCESS
COLLECTION
NATE ROESE NATE ROESE
IDEATION
3D MODELING
3D MODELING
3D MODELING
MOODBOARDS







COLORWAYS





BRANDING 
ELEMENTS
Diagonal Line 
Unifying angled lines throughout the upper and midsole  
Medial Lateral Split Simple triads represent the 3 shoes in the collection. 
Functional split down the middle of the collection Symbolizes an abstract wing for flight and speed.  
Color Palette 
Same color palette throughout the collection  
Logo 
Small icon to identify the brand 
PACKAGING CONCEPT
T C R  J U M P
C O L L E C T I O N
The TCR Trainer is  made with the high jumper 
training routine in mind. The shoe is  designed with 
an innovative strap system that wraps around the 
upper and through the midsole to lockdown and 
secure the foot. Integrated into the midsole is  a 
energy return and al lows better  propulsion for  
plyometric  training. Lastly the midsole has added 
forefoot cushioning to reduce stress on the MTP 
joints so the athlete can focus on training. 
HIGH PERFORMANCE VELCRO POLYESTER LINING
TO HELP KEEP THE FOOT LOCKED DOWN
KEEP FEET COOL AND COMFORTABLE
NON WOVEN SYNTHETIC
LEATHER STRAP POLYESTER MESH 
FOR A CUSTOMIZED AND SECURED FIT DURABLE MESH TO KEEP HEEL LOCKED IN
ENGINEERED POLYESTER MESH
REINFORCED W/ DYNEEMA BEMIS
HEAT PRESSED // TO COVER STITCHING
LIGHTWEIGHT, BREATHABLE AND STRONG
3MM CARBON FIBER PLATE
LAYERED, HEATED, CUT // HIGHER PROPULSION PROPERTIES 
PEBAX FOAM
INJECTION MOLDED //
LIGHTER AND BETTER ENERGY RETURN
GRAPHENE INFUSED RUBBER
INJECTION MOLDED // STRONGER RUBBER
FOR DURABILITY
PROTOTYPING











LOOK BOOK






//  VALIDATION
"THAT MAKES SENSE IN MY MIND ON HOW IT 
WOULD RETURN MORE ENERGY TO YOU.”
“THE RECOVERY BOOT COVERS ALL OF MY 
CONCERNS WHEN I  NEED RECOVER”
“I  LIKE HOW THE TRAINING SHOE IS DESIGNED 
WITH HOW WE MOVE DURING PLYOMETRICS”
NICK BNAickC BHaIcNhiSnsKkIi  
POST COLPLoEstG CIoAllTeEg iHatIeG HHig JhU JMumPpEeRr




TECH FLATS
290.91
6.87
3.43 34.80
8.28
323.84
90.18
38.77
30.46
TECH FLATS
8.37 34.78 8.57
78.35
291.27
286.61
33.29
26.93
12.73
TECH FLATS
8.92
301.83
281.37
8.92
301.83
281.37
79.05
29.83
21.65
79.05
29.83
21.65
T.C.R. JUMP 
COLLECTION Nate Roese 
University of Oregon 
RESPOND //  ELEVATE //  RESTORE Capstone Project 2020


//  VIDEO ANALYSIS
//  VIDEO ANALYSIS
//  ATHLETES/ STAFF
COLLEGIATE PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Ben Milligan // 7’ 2.5" Ryan Lockard // 7’ 3" Nick Bachinski // 7’ 0.50” Luca Wieland // 7’ 2.5" Adri Glebauskas // 7’ 5" Zach Seigmeier // HJ Coach
Ben Gucinski // 7’ 1" Michael Burke // 7’ 3” Danny Schiller // 7’ 0.25” Shelby McEwen // 7’ 7” Kevin Schultz// 7’ 2.5” Katie Madden // Trainer
//  PROBLEMS
TRAINING COMPETITION RECOVERY
Forefoot cushioning Ankle support No recovery shoes 
Foot sliding around Spikes felt loose Wear lifestyle, sandals 
Shoe’s felt loose Material ripping and old trainers 
Durability of outsole Lockdown 
Want something that 
will work, comfortable 
and lightweight 
//  DESIGN EXPLORATION
//  PROTOTYPING
T.C.R. TRAINING SHOE
LOCKDOWN // CUSHIONING // DURABILITY
//  PARTS + PURPOSE 
//  PEBAX FOAM
Extremely lightweight foam that maintains a high 
degree of comfort and energy return. Considered 
the best performance foam ever. 


T.C.R. COMPETITION SPIKE
SUPPORT // PROPULSION // LOCKDOWN
//  PARTS + PURPOSE
//  PROPULSION PLATE
“IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO TURN 
THE SPRING BLADES AROUND AND HAVE 
THEM POINT IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION”
Franz Fuss, 2013


T.C.R. RECOVERY BOOT
CIRCULATION // CUSHIONING // SUPPORT
//  PARTS + PURPOSE
//  CELLIANT TECH
Infused bioceramic fibers that emits FIR when next to 
the skin. The FIR penetrate deep through the body to 
help increase blood circulation. Approved by the 
FDA and has been mostly used in apparel.


//  VALIDATION
"THAT MAKES SENSE IN MY MIND ON HOW IT 
WOULD RETURN MORE ENERGY TO YOU.”
“THE RECOVERY BOOT COVERS ALL OF MY 
CONCERNS WHEN I  NEED RECOVER”
“I  LIKE HOW THE TRAINING SHOE IS DESIGNED 
WITH HOW WE MOVE DURING PLYOMETRICS”
NICK BNAickC BHaIcNhiSnsKkIi  
POST COLPLoEstG CIoAllTeEg iHatIeG HHig JhU JMumPpEeRr
//  IMPACT
This collection will improve all aspects of 
performance for high jumpers by offering the most 
tailored footwear to the event. The holistic design 
approach is what makes the collection so valuable to 
the athlete.

//  SPECIAL THANKS TO…
All the SPD students  My mentor, Sara Novak Brad Wilkins, Ph. D 
and faculty Footwear Designer VP of Science & Innovation 
adidas Amp Human
Athletes that gave me Daniel Schuster Anita Nagavalli 
valuable feedback Footwear Product Tester  Materials Innovation adidas adidas
Celliant for donating Eric Holmes Ola Adeniji 
fabric for my collection Product Testing Manager Ph. D - Human Physiology adidas University of Oregon