Effects of outsole shoe patterns on athletic performance

Abstract

<p>The focus of this study was to investigate the effects that different basketball shoe outsole tread patterns have on the amount of slip and therefore the performance of the individual while undergoing normal basketball transitions. Tread grooves and therefore patterns must exist on the outsole of a basketball shoe because the chances of contamination and for practical durability. With the existence of so many basketball shoes with varying tread patterns and characteristics it presents the question of whether or not varying patterns affect traction, slip, and therefore athletic performance. This study evaluated the amount of slips of two pairs of basketball shoes with human participants running basketball drills on a hardwood basketball floor at Wartburg College. The results indicated that one shoe with a much more unique tread pattern performed better with fewer slips, and fewer severe slips, especially when considering lateral movements than the other shoe which had a tread pattern with similar tread characteristics to many other currently available market shoes.</p>