Football players won’t be left out of the custom footwear conversation—the NFL said this week that it’s working on getting all players custom cleats for the field.
Thanks to an innovative new footwear solution from FitStation powered by HP, which uses 3-D scanning technology, players will soon be able to know everything they need to know about their feet and what shoes they should be wearing.
FitStation’s dual hardware and software platform takes 3-D scans of the athlete’s foot, which can determine gait analysis and foot pressure points, then use algorithms to match the player’s digital profile with previously scanned images of football cleats from Nike, Adidas and Under Armour. The technology can capture up to 500 precise measurements per second, and its high-grade 3-D scanner has nine cameras that automate calculations on foot length, width and arch-height to factor into the custom fit.
“We are proud to have HP onboard as an official sponsor and have the ability for the League and each of its 32 clubs to tap into their innovative 3D scanning technology,” said Renie Anderson, SVP of Sponsorship and Partnership Management for the NFL. “The NFL’s number one priority is continuing to enhance player safety and performance and by utilizing HP’s technology to give our players personalized cleat recommendations we’re able to continue that mission.”
The collaboration is part of the NFL’s ongoing effort to improve players’ health and performance, and HP’s FitStation was hand-selected by the league’s Musculoskeletal Committee, which is tasked with analyzing injury data and trends to determine best paths to injury prevention.
“A shoe is not just about performance, it is an important piece of protective equipment,” said Dr. Richard Kent, a professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Emergency Medicine at the University of Virginia and a member of the NFL Musculoskeletal Committee. “In the NFL, lower limb injuries are responsible for a significant amount of player time lost. A better-designed shoe can be a protective mechanism against injuries such as turf toe, Lisfranc fractures, and high ankle sprains.”