Case Study: Loughborough University achieves faster, personalized sprint spikes with 3D Systems' SLS DuraForm solution

Building the World's Fastest Shoes

3D Systems teamed with researchers at Loughborough University’s IMCRC to tackle a narrow but critical challenge: shave hundredths of a second off elite sprinters’ times by tailoring sprint spike sole stiffness to each athlete. The goal was to understand how longitudinal bending stiffness affects ankle and foot dynamics and to create bespoke soles that could measurably boost performance.

Using selective laser sintering (SLS) and 3D Systems’ DuraForm plastic, the team rapidly manufactured custom sole units with varying stiffness, attached them to standard uppers, and tested them in lab and track trials. Results showed that athlete-specific stiffness tuning could significantly increase mechanical energy at the ankle—sometimes doubling it—DuraForm soles generally delivered higher stiffness than many commercial spikes, and SLS offered faster, lower-cost design freedom versus molding, paving the way toward broader personalized footwear.

Loughborough University

Dan Toon

Loughborough Researcher