Running to Cycling Transition Shoe

Running-to-Biking Transition Shoe Final Presentation

Lucy Gunther and 2 OthersAva Rizika
Rowan Roudebush

 Rowan:

The Running to Cycling Shoe Attachment is an attachment that turns a running shoe into a rigid biking shoe,  helping someone with a prosthetic not fall behind in shoe transitions in triathlons. Consisting of a rigid sole with a heel and toe stopper, the attachment secures to the running shoe with Velcro and has the universal 3 holes for clipping into the bike pedals.  The user simply undoes a Velcro strap at the heel to slide the heel back and insert their shoe, then slides the heel in, secures it with Velcro, and attaches one more Velcro strap at the middle of the foot.

The Running Shoe to Cycling Shoe Attachment engages in the issue of accessibility for amputees participating in intense sports. This specific design was made for a veteran with a below knee amputation who competes in triathlons. This project evens the playing field for disabled athletes and fully abled athletes competing in triathlons,  with the hope of inspiring younger amputees to pursue their dreams regardless of their disability. It raises the question of what disadvantages amputees face in intense sports, and if  there are ways to adapt  minimize the effects of any  disadvantages 

Lucy Gunther:

A shoe attachment that changes a running shoe into a rigid bike shoe. This running shoe attachment provides similar support that a bike shoe would with a quicker and easier transition.

Triathletes have a difficult time switching from swimming to biking to running. Having a below knee amputation and prosthetic makes these transitions even more difficult. It takes someone with a prosthetic more time to transition causing them to lag behind in the race. The Running to Cycling Transition Shoe makes these transitions easier. Creating an attachment that makes shoe transitions easier sends a message to people who have been disabled. It says that they can still participate in the activities they enjoyed before, without extreme difficulty. Triathletes have to change into bike shoes right after swimming and then into running shoes after biking. The Transition Shoe eliminates the second shoe change because someone would simply have to remove the outer attachment. This Transition Shoe has the integrity of a bike shoe and easy access for a running shoe. In order to keep the integrity of a bike shoe, the shoe has a rigid sole, heel, and toe. This is to ensure maximum power transfer from the biker to the bike. The Transition Shoe uses a detachable slide in heel and strong Velcro strap in order to clamp and secure the running shoe inside. The hope is that, triathletes with a prosthetic will use this exoskeleton to make shoe changes quick and easy. 


Ava Rizika:

The Biking-to-Running Transition Shoe helps people with below-the-knee amputations have quicker and easier transitions between triathlon legs, or sections. People with prosthetics often seek new ways to lead a physically active life. Athletes with prosthetics may have a more difficult time with some activities. For example, the client that the Biking-to-Running Transition shoe was designed for is a veteran who enjoys competing in triathlons. He says that he struggles with changing shoes between the running and biking portions, which can be very time-consuming and difficult, especially for someone with a prosthetic. The time between the events when people switch shoes is critical, and one can easily fall behind from a slow transition, which can be frustrating. By helping this athlete run a triathlon more smoothly, the hope is to even the playing field for amputee triathletes competing against able-bodied people, and to inspire other amputees to be active and pursue their interests with confidence.

The product is designed to quickly slip on and off of a running sneaker. The shoe attachment has two different pieces: the heel and a connected toe and sole. The heel is detachable and slides into the sole along a guided rail. The part that covers the toe is attached to the sole and has two Velcro straps for tightening, one that goes over the foot and one that goes around the back of the heel. These velcro straps allow the user to slide their foot in easily without having to tug or twist. Bike shoes typically have a very rigid sole, toe, and heel. This is replicated in the attachment by using a hard material on those parts. Currently, there is no solution to this problem on the market; however, although another Nuvu design worked with the transition between triathlon legs, but it was not designed for amputees and did not have the necessary rigid bike shoe structure. The Biking-to-Running Transition shoe is an innovative solution for any triathlete, but specifically, for amputees who are trying to lead an active lifestyle.