Sports Media Report
VKTRY Gear (www.VKTRYgear.com), the fast growing, industry leader in Performance Insoles, today announced the results of a study by the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut that confirms VKTRY’s aerospace-grade carbon fiber insoles help in both injury protection and injury recovery.
“After an extensive research study by the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of Connecticut, the results indicate that VKTRY Insoles improve both lower body biomechanics of the ankle and knee during running, and shock absorption during landing. These improvements may provide injury protection,” said Dr. Douglas Casa, PhD, ATC, Professor of Kinesiology, CEO of KSI.
VKTRY Insoles were originally invented for the US Olympic Bobsled Team to improve athletic explosiveness. Now, more and more people are discovering the benefits of energy return, improved stability and shock absorption that “VKs” provide. Currently, elite athletes and sports medicine staffs at over 300 pro and college teams are now using VKTRY Insoles.
“We conducted field research in 2017 by testing over 260 D1 football players at 4 universities over a full season. At the end of the study, the universities reported 22% less lower leg injuries and 41% less foot and toes injuries with VKs,” stated Steve Wasik, VKTRY CEO. “The PhD-led clinical research at KSI provides the science to support the field study and explain why VKTRY Insoles protect athletes and result in a reduction of sports injuries.”
VKTRY Insoles have a full length, carbon fiber base with 5 levels of flexibility that can be customized to provide optimum performance and protection. Research and customer testimonials suggest that VKs can help people who are suffering from conditions like Plantar Fasciitis, Shin Splints, Turf Toe and knee and ankle injuries.
“VKs represent a quantum leap in the world of performance insoles providing many of the benefits of custom-made orthotics in an over the counter device. For the first time, athletes can experience stabilization, shock absorption, and propulsion in a device that is specifically tailored to their size and weight. This is a game changer.” – Dr. Jamie Creps, PT, DScPT, OCS, CMPT, Senior Physical Therapist, Boston Red Sox.
The KSI Research Summary:
● VKTRY Insoles improve lower body alignment and stability of the ankle and knee during running. Improvements in alignment can reduce stress and load on the knee and decrease the chance of knee injuries (ACL, MCL, Meniscus tears, Bursitis, Tendinitis, Osteoarthritis, etc.)
● Improved biomechanics with VKs reduces the stress on the tibialis anterior tendon during running, which is responsible for dorsiflexion, potentially resulting in decreased risk of shin splints, tibial stress syndrome, stress fractures, and anterior tibialis tendinitis.
● By better controlling ankle motion when applying downward force, VKs may reduce ankle injuries and increase protection against injuries such as plantar fasciitis.
● VKs demonstrated a 10% improvement in shock absorption which reduces the pounding on the entire body and may help in recovery from all lower leg injuries.
54% of all injuries involve the lower extremity (knee, ankle foot). Whether walking, running or jumping, athletes experience ground reaction forces (GRF). Test subjects experienced less GRF with VKTRY Insoles (10%) during landing while the athlete was fatigued. VKs were able to absorb more shock and distribute ground forces more evenly for the athlete.
VKTRY Insoles provide a “spring-like” effect to improve shock absorption and reduce the load and stress on the athlete’s body. During running tests, VKs increased stride lengths of the research participants by 5-6 inches which would result in less steps needed to cover the same distance (so less pounding on the body) and possibly faster times.
The KSI research reinforces a 2017 field study where VKTRY worked with four Division 1 football programs (Texas A&M, Duke, Northern Illinois and NC State) to study the injury protection aspect of VKTRY Insoles. 263 athletes in total were provided with VKs and told to wear them for all practices and games that season. After the season, the Athletic Training staff from each school provided VKTRY with the team results from 2017 compared to the last three years of injury history. The compilation of the four Medical staffs in the study resulted in 41% less foot/toe injuries and 22% less lower leg injuries (knee/ankle) and they attributed that improvement to VKTRY Insoles.
