Thaindian News

October 20, 2010 (Pen Men at Work): there is a new shoe in the market that promises to enhance the vertical jump of athletes. The shoe has been conceptualized and manufactured by ‘Athletic Propulsion Labs’ and are being marketed by the name of ‘Concept 1’. The company claims that the shoe will improve the vertical jump of a basketball player by a whopping three and a half inches. The players might not believe the tall claims made by the shoemakers but the NBA has taken due notice of the footwear’s capabilities and banned it.

Recently a senior NBA official notified Athletic Propulsion labs of the said ‘ban’. NBA officials are of the opinion that any sportswear that gives an athlete “undue competitive advantage” is likely to be banned from the game. As per the League rules, no player is allowed to wear performance enhancing sports equipments so they will not be permitted to wear APL shoes during the NBA games.

Although the claims of the shoe-manufacturing company are yet to be tested, thanks to the new ban they have gained a lots of free publicity. The NBA ban on APL shoes has turned into a boon for the company because this will mean a lot of aspiring Basketball players will buy them to get the extra edge over competitors. The NBA ban simply validates APL’s claims and will make it more popular among kids.

The APL shoes have a spring mechanism at the front of the sole which makes them bouncier than other shoes. The spring based propulsion system is a good addition but whether they really add to the vertical leap is yet to be ascertained.