The post by Steve Casimiro on Adventure Journal asked the question: “Has Nike Invented A Second Skin?” He wrote:
“These ‘Footstickers’ appear to be nothing more than concepts of potential Nike products, but the future they suggest is pretty darn intriguing. Three models are shown for yoga and dance, and how they’d actually stick to your feet isn’t explained, nor is the connection to Nike. But given the success and broadening line of Vibram Five Fingers models, it seems inevitable that more brands won’t experiment with the concept.
The idea of a simple paste-on makes complete sense for a pursuit like yoga, but probably wouldn’t stand up to the rugged outdoor world, where it’s easy to picture it peeling off at the first touch of hot asphalt. But once your feet have adapted to barefoot running, they don’t need much more coverage than a skin to protect from broken glass and other spiky hazards.”
According to a similar post on Behance: “There are many advantages of bare feet sporting: better motion control, more feeling in your feet and direct floor contact, etc. In this way you are more grounded and more aware of your feet and movements. It’s also a good training for stronger feet. But a disadvantage is the risk of injuries; you can easily twist or slip. The Footsticker improves the activity and keeps the bare foot feeling! The flexible material feels like a second skin. This Footsticker gives you more grip, support and protection.”
For this concept to work, I have questions.
- Will they be offered in various sizes for men and women’s feet?
- How about sizing for wide and narrow feet?
- How will they accommodate different toe lengths?
- How thick are they?
- How pliable are they?
- Can they be trimmed?
- What holds them on?
- How long will they last?
- What are they made out of?
The concept also adds something to a part of the foot that might be fine. That can be a problem for some people. I generally subscribe to the “less is better” theory. We will watch this and see if it ever makes it to market.
Thank you to Brian Schmitz for alerting me to this item.
