215 Application of numerical simulation to sole structure designing for grip improvement

Abstract

Various functions are requested for designing of sport shoes. Especially grip property is one of the most important functions for both the enhanced performance and injury prevention. Usually high friction produces the high performance, however the excessive friction causes the injuries. Experimental approach has some fatal errors for grip designing. Designing method for shoe sole to control friction based on computer simulation like FEM is required. In this study, we establish computer simulation method considering contact surface. In order to check the validity of this method, simulation results are compared with experimental ones. By using the simulation method, we quantitatively investigate the effects of outer sole structure on grip property.