Advanced Technology puts ASPIRE's best feet forward

The Munich-based company worked with ASPIRE athletes at a training camp in Leverkusen, Germany, over the summer, taking three-dimensional scans of the students' feet. These have been used to create special footwear inserts that have been specifically designed for each student and his chosen sport.

It is one of the first times that the technology, which is used by leading German soccer team Bayern Munich, has been deployed for young athletes in the Middle East.

Given the relatively young age of the students training at ASPIRE, the Academy places great emphasis on using proven technology that helps support athletic development and protect from injury.

Podiatric health - which cares for the foot and the ankle - is a priority for the medical team since all athletes need to keep their feet healthy. One of the major causes of strains, injuries and improper development in young athletes is ill-fitting footwear, so the work with S Merzendorfer is seen as particularly important.

ASPIRE Chief Health Officer Dr Manfred Dingerkus said: "Runners, football players and high jumpers all engage in activities which place significant demands on their feet - although often in very different ways. The technology we have deployed ensures that the training shoes our athletes wear are tailored to both their feet and to their sport."

The inserts are designed to replace the standard insoles that come with training shoes. They match the foot of each individual athlete, and also take into account the ongoing growth the athletes are likely to experience.

Students specialising in football have been given inserts which hold the feet tightly, to ensure they stay stable on the pitch, while jumpers were given thicker inserts to absorb shocks.

In addition, data gathered from the initial three-dimensional scans has been incorporated into the wider process of monitoring the athletes' growth and development, as part of the Academy's approach to tailoring the teaching and training program for each individual student's requirements.

High Technology

ASPIRE deploys the most advanced technologies throughout its operations and this latest addition further improves the health and wellbeing of the growing student population. This includes:

1) A computer screen showing ASPIRE students' feet undergoing analysis during the creation of their specially-designed sports shoes in Germany recently.
2) A computer screen showing an ASPIRE student's feet as he gets measured for his specially-designed sports shoes in Germany recently.