Adidas has introduced new shoes designed to “propel you forward with every step.”
Spring Blade shoes feature 16 “individually tuned blades” made from a high-tech polymer “proven through rigorous ballistics testing resist temperature fluctuation for consistent performance in any climate.”
Whoa.
They look like the perfect blend of weird and cool—and if they improve performance, all the better.
Of course, the name does remind me of the 1996 Billy Bob Thornton film “Sling Blade,” which is a little unfortunate.
Billy Bob Thornton in his 1996 film “Sling Blade”
Apparently Adidas is not alone in its mission to create gravity-defying footwear.
Fitness trend followers are strapping on Kangaroo Jumps to help them “propel” their workouts forward.
Photo of an exercise class wearing Kargaroo Jumps by Melanie Fidler for The New York Times
And I found these vintage steel spring shoes at the Yesteryear Remembered blog, which describes them as “kind of like strapping your mattress to the bottom of your feet.”
Vintage steel spring shoes
The Modern Mechanix blog found a similar design created way back in 1953 for wounded veterans, but they are not nearly so stylish.
1953 shoes created for wounded veterans
If you want to see the Spring Blades in action, Adidas has provided a video.
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