Under pressure
In the world of cycling shoes it is generally agreed that the stiffer shoe gives better performance. The rigid reinforced soles transfer power more efficiently and reduce and disperse pressure preventing fatigue. But in terms of overall foot health the inability to flex the shoe at the metatarsals can cause serious problems. V2 went through numerous rounds of prototyping and analysis in order to develop a cycling shoe sole that improved foot health and comfort without compromising performance.
We experimented with a carbon fibre sole that had zones that could flex independently whilst maintaining an extremely solid connection to the bike’s power train.
One of the most important and overlooked aspects is the tilt and angle of the forefoot. Studies show that 96% of all cyclists are misaligned in their connection to the bicycle, decreasing comfort and efficiency. This misalignment occurs as soon as you clip into a pedal because the pedal is flat. We looked to refine the amount of flex in order to spread out and bring the pressure under the first two toes.
Evidence now shows that maximising the power at the 3 o’clock position, when the cranks are both parallel to the ground, is the most beneficial for forward movement. Taking this on board we went about optimising a sole that reacted to pressure in this 3 o’clock position due to the angle and intensity at this point.
