BIOMORPHIC FIT™ IS ALL ABOUT COMFORT

asics Impact Guidance System is the complete footwear system - quality science at its best, recognising the biomechanics of the sport to which it is applied - multiple deformation, cushioning, stability and proprioception all in one package, but there is one other critical factor: FIT.

BIOMORPHIC FIT™ is the result of intense research of ‘upper’ technology and a natural compliment to the highly successful I.G.S. It has long been agreed that a shoe can have all the technology invented, but if it doesn’t fit properly, then it can’t be worn. In I.G.S. technology, asics have achieved groundbreaking success in comfort and fit at the midsole, but it is equally important to attain the same comfort and fit in the upper.

There are several areas on the upper where loading and friction on the foot are very high and these loading patterns are extremely high at specific times in the gait cycle. In particular, the transition from foot flat to toe-off is a period of vulnerability, as the upper has a tendency to bunch at the level of the metatarsal heads at this time.

Using a highly sophisticated system called ‘Aramis’ asics scientists have been able to identify the areas of high pressure and friction, and have been successful in making the upper design modifications necessary to reduce the load. The ‘Aramis’ system uses multiple cameras to analyse the microscopic orientation of materials in relation to one another. The test samples are painted with different coloured coatings to allow differentiation of the individual upper components. With the shoe then analysed from the various angles, the exact relationship of the upper material to the contact surface of the foot can then be calculated, and the precise deformation of the material is identified.

Using this process and a very high degree of accuracy, the areas of highest pressure and friction can be pinpointed. By measuring the deformation of the upper componentry, and comparing this deformation to the areas of loading on the foot - positive changes to upper design can be made – meaning better fit, improved comfort, less risk of injury and better performance. BIOMORPHIC FIT™ is the technical breakthrough of upper design, conceived specifically to compliment I.G.S.

Through the high speed cine analysis of ‘Aramis’, asics scientists are able to identify the specific areas of local buckling that compromise upper fit, especially during the transition from foot flat to propulsion. Research illustrated that the flexibility, or compliance of the materials at the high-risk zones were the main problem. Statically the material fits well over the foot, however, dynamically the material bunches causing increased pressure and friction at clearly identified zones. BIOMORPHIC FIT™ provides an ingenious solution to this problem. Like all great inventions, the initial solution was blindingly simple – make incisions at the level of the high-risk areas so the materials could glide over each other and so prevent bunching. In principle, simple but effective.

However, the technology employed in the initial range of BIOMORPHIC FIT™ shoes, the asics Kayano X and the DS Trainer IX is highly sophisticated. By introducing radical new flex points over the areas of highest buckling, BIOMORPHIC FIT™ allows a much improved fit and dramatically reduced loading, especially over bony prominences. The result is a globally integrated athletic shoe with all the proven features of I.G.S. and the brilliant upper BIOMORPHIC FIT™- truly a landmark technology.