Getting a grip with sports shoes is very important to athletes, to prevent injury and to be able to push their performance. Yet it has always been a challenge, as rubber tends to wear down fast. In order to make sure that athletes won’t slip and fall on wet trails or gym floors, British company Inov-8 in collaboration with the University of Manchester has created a new type of wear-resistant rubber for sport shoes, combined with graphene.

Since its discovery in 2004, graphene has been used to make all kinds of materials better and stronger. The material comes from graphite. It is only one atom thick, making it the world’s thinnest, but also strongest material. Graphene is 200 times stronger than steel. It’s extraordinarily flexible, and can be bent, twisted, folded and stretched without incurring any damage.

Inov-8 is the world’s first company to incorporate graphene into running and fitness shoes. By incorporating graphene, the rubber outsoles are, according to the company, 50 per cent stronger, stretchier and more resistant to wear, in addition to giving more grip.

The G-Series shoes, which include the graphene, will come to the market later this year.

For other projects with graphene, click here.

Photo: Inov-8