In 2006, inspired by the barefoot runners of Africa, Dieter Kasprzak (president of ECCO and himself a shoe designer), initiated research to create a shoe that genuinely guided the foot to the optimal motion path of the barefoot runner. The resulting Biom Project combined our knowledge of the foot with input from leading scientists in running biomechanics and testing by Danish tri-athlete, Rasmus Henning.
The human foot evolved over thousands of years to walk and to run. Its 26 bones, 107 ligaments and 32 muscles work together to adapt to the ground and stabilize the body with each step. The foot is brilliantly designed to run with great efficiency and to get stronger with use.
The human foot evolved to run on soft ground, not pavement. Natural terrain gives way to the foot, helping to absorb impact. Today's hard surfaces have no 'give'. Biom was designed to provide the same level of support and protection as a soft surface, such as sand.
Since ECCO began, we have worked to develop shoes that conform to the motions of the feet and not the other way around. A natural extension of this feet first philosophy, Biom combines our most innovative technologies and materials to produes shoes that truly support natural motion.
Over the decades, shoes have evolved to cushion the foot, rather than to support its natural movement. This is especially problematic with running shoes, due to their pervasive use of motion control and ample cushioning. As a result, conventional shoes lead to less efficient movement and less strengthening of the body. Ecco Biom shoes are designed to remedy this.
The human body has adapted to forward motion for over thousands of years, developing extraordinarily sophisticated natural systems for absorbing impact and transferring momentum, including the capacity to continually strengthen itself. By supporting and enabling these natural systems (as opposed to inhibiting them), BIOM natural motion shoes encourage the muscles and ligaments to strengthen, while encouraging runners to develop a more natural gait. All unnecessary features such as over-protection, excessive cushioning and motion control have been eliminated – only features to support natural motion are included in the design.
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