New Sneaker Wants to Help You Run Faster
Athletic Propulsion Labs says its new technology outpaces the competition.
June 23, 2014 -- Performance brand Athletic Propulsion Labs has unveiled a supposedly fail-safe regimen to make you run faster. The program takes about 30 seconds to complete and requires only moderate fine-motor skills.
Ready? Here it is: Lace up a pair of sneakers.
The Los Angeles-based company released three new models to its limited footwear lineup last week: the Windchill, Joyride, and TechLoom Pro ($120-$150). Each is designed to give runners an extra push on the track and treadmill alike, but the Windchill, in particular, boasts multi-patented technology to optimize performance, according to APL co-founders and twin brothers Adam and Ryan Goldston.
"When we designed the range, our goal was to create something that would work for everyone," Ryan Goldston told ABC News of the shoes that are sold online and at Saks Fifth Avenue. "The [test] results on these have been really strong and promising."
And while the claims may sound unlikely, don't be too quick to dismiss them. At least one major industry association has already legitimized them. Sort of.
After APL first debuted four years ago with a pair of kicks that pledged to improve basketball players' vertical jumps, the NBA sprang into action and banned the sneakers for giving "an undue competitive advantage" on the court.
Calling the ban "the greatest thing that ever happened" to the company, Goldston said, "It basically propelled us to new heights."
Still, Goldston stresses that the technology is no "magic pill," and independent research has yet to confirm that the shoes tangibly enhance performance.
"What we're really about is taking someone's athleticism and doing everything we can to maximize it," he said. "Adam and I have always wanted to develop technology that could instantly take athletes to another level.
“We want to create sneakers that will make you the most efficient and the most explosive with what you have."
If the sneakers do perform as promised, this much is almost certain: It'll be all other brands can do to keep up.
