Puma has constantly been looking for new technology to recreate their shoes. MIT Design Lab has assisted Puma to create a material that combines mechanical cushioning and foam.
They have coined the name of this new material in the textile space to be XETIC which is derived from “auxetic materials”. This material behaves in a certain way when they are exposed to mechanical changes such as compression.
In order to develop this highly technical material PUMA and MIT worked with athletes to analyze individual running specifics and develop a structure that facilitates progressive cushioning. This resulted in a structure shaped like a horizontal number eight.
Romain Girard, the senior head of innovation at Puma stated that the innovation department teamed up with MIT Design Lab as they required their expert engineering capabilities to bring functionality to the textile.
MIT has further provided an advantage to PUMA as they have computer simulation that enables the company to test the behavior of the material and rapidly find optimal for structured cushioning.
The XETIC will be introduced in a trainer called Calibrate Runner soon. Puma looks forward to the public response to its latest innovation and hopes to continue working with MIT for its future innovations.