Adidas Spring Blade running shoes put a spring in your step

Athletes are always looking for equipment that can give them an edge, and for runners, that means shoes that can launch them ahead with minimal energy. In the past, most shoe companies have produced shoes with flexible mid-soles that help the wearer push off of the ground more easily, but some recent footwear from Adidas might take that concept to a new level. The aptly-named Adidas Spring Blade uses angled elastic blades on the soles to quickly propel the wearer forward as if they had springs on their feet.

The blades are the most eye-catching aspect of the Spring Blades but the designers have incorporated a few other handy features as well. The top of the shoes are made of flexible materials and designed to hug the wearer’s foot, restricting the shoe from sliding around and conserving even more energy. According to the company, the polymers used in the Spring Blade also provide seven times the temperature resistance of a shoe built with regular EVA cushioning.

The Spring Blade is certainly an unusual-looking shoe, but that same unconventional design might just provide a seasoned runner with the extra boost they’re after.

The Adidas Spring Blade shoes are set to hit store shelves starting August 1st at a price of US$180.