Enko running shoes put a spring in your step

There are plenty of shock absorbing running shoes on the market and these have been designed to absorb energy on the down step of the runner and release it on the up step. A runner from France however has come up with a new concept on the idea and designed the Enko running shoe, which features coil sprung suspension on each shoe and a hinged sole.

[Image Source: Enko]

The Enko shoe has been in the concept stage since 2002 and relies on the wearer of the shoe stepping down onto the heel and the shocks are then compressed along with the rear part of the sole folding up to the underside of the foot. When the runner strides out to put the weight on the ball of the foot, the shocks then expand. The ground stops the back part of the sole from moving down and therefore all the released energy from the coils goes towards pushing the foot up and forward.

[Image Source: Enko]

It is said that at the same time the setup can absorb impacts that could potentially cause an injury each time the foot of the runner hits the ground. For instance, medial tibial stress syndrome (otherwise known as shin splints) which is often caused from running too much on hard surfaces.

The shoe comes with a level on each side that can be used by the runner to make tweaks to the amount of tension for running and walking. Different coils of stiffness can be chosen and this would be dependent on the weight of the runner. The studs fitted onto the soles underside have been designed to be replaceable.

The team have put the Enko running shoe on Indiegogo to raise interest and funds and if you want a pair you can make a pledge for US$390.