In partnership with MIT Design Lab, PUMA, the leading footwear company, has rolled out XETIC, a cushioning system integrating mechanical cushioning with foam. Recently, the device was launched in the brand ‘s latest street-ready sneakers named Calibrate Runner, and it has been seen to offer additional support when walking.
The term XETIC was taken from the word ‘auxetic materials,’ mechanisms that in the course of some mechanical stress act in a certain way. The team of PUMA and MIT Design Lab collaborated with comprehensive runner group to examine the pressure points for which the formula was designed for progressive cushioning in additional depth. The consequence was a horizontal figure form framework.
However, in the process of the research, several qualitative and quantitative interface experiments were used along with a novel simulation of finite element analysis and parametric design to extract the ideal pattern called ‘Recurve.’
