Nike's Specially Designed Track Spikes Helped a Double Amputee Sprint in London [London 2012]
South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius just ran in the Olympics. Unlike his competitors he did it as a below-the-knee amputee, using Ossür's Flex-Foot Cheetah legs. But he also faced a unique challenge that his competitors didn't have to consider—how do you get track spikes on your prosthetics? The short answer is they have to be fitted by hand. That's a process that ordinarily takes up to two hours. Spikes fall off, because unlike a foot, which bends and curves, carbon blades are less mobile. Luckily Oscar is sponsored by Nike, so top-notch tech was at his disposal. Not that it made the design process a breeze. Oscar traveled to Ossür's lab in Iceland along with Nike designer Tobie Hatfield to create a spike that was just right for his unique situation. Of course, Oscar can't feel his feet to talk about how something fits, so the process was unique. Tobie filmed Oscar sprinting on a pressure-sensitive treadmill at 500fps, to make sure he saw every movement and st...