New York-based startup Storelli hopes to help athletes of all sports enhance performance through increased foot traction. But the technology-focused sports apparel company does not make shoes or cleats. Instead, Storelli plans to introduce shoe insoles that help provide improved stability, traction, and grip.
The concept behind Storelli’s new SpeedGrip Insoles is straightforward: prevent athletes’ feet from shifting around inside cleats or other athletic shoes. SpeedGrip Insoles can help athletes perform at higher levels through increased stability and control created by greater foot-to-shoe grip and traction.
Storelli hopes its insoles help make athletes faster, more explosive, and give them greater overall foot control. The company tried to make an insole that prevented both side-to-side movement and slippage as well as limited heel lift and instability.
The thin, lightweight, non-woven, Artholite foam insoles are made through extreme heat and pressure. Storelli’s non-abrasive suede texture insoles were designed to be comfortable, lightweight, and “firm enough to transfer energy directly from your foot to the boot.” SpeedGrip Insoles’ create even more grip when they are wet or damp.
Storelli’s heel tab, which extend slightly over the top of most shoes, help eliminate heel lift. The shaped heel cup provides additional support as well as comfort.
The company claims that friction tests showed that its SpeedGrip Insoles create 50 percent more grip than other insoles both wet and dry. Storelli wanted to help reduce the risk of injuries such as rolled ankles by trying to eliminate as much foot slippage as possible. The reduced friction created by the lack of foot movement also helps prevent blisters.
Loughborough University’s Progressive Sports Technologies in England, which tests sports-related products for companies such as Nike, The North Face, and more, tested the SpeedGrip Insoles. Storelli’s insoles reportedly produce measurably better traction and grip as well as an ancillary mental benefit: users think the insoles make them quicker.
Storelli’s perforated SpeedGrip Insoles can be self-cut and customize in order to fit more precisely in almost any shoe. The insole’s antimicrobial material helps kill or stop the growth of microorganisms that cause both germs and odors.
Storelli began to design and sell lightweight, soccer-focused protective gear in 2013. The company makes padded protective shin and leg sleeves, shirts, goalie gloves, headbands, and other apparel. International soccer stars Iker Casillas and Oscar “Oscar” dos Santos Emboaba are both Storelli global brand ambassadors. Protection products specifically designed for female soccer players were launched Thursday.
SpeedGrip Insoles are not yet on the market. Storelli plans to ship the first insoles to its Kickstarter campaign backers by May or June. The company is currently more than halfway to its $15,000 all or nothing goal. SpeedGrip Insoles are scheduled to retail for $39.99.
