Le Parkour is an extreme sport where the participant keeps moving from point A to B in a rapid fluid motion, overcoming obstacles like concrete walls, stairways, rooftops etc. Since a limited people practice this urban sport (not all of us can move our tub of lard with such agility), finding appropriate footwear is always a problem. The 980 TATOU is a specialized shoe designed for this sport that offers better customization than normal running shoes. It’s not for your lemon-spoon race!
Here are the details:
- 980 TATOU consists of several parts, which can be easily changed and its several detachable parts allow for easy exchange, washing, and customization.
- Its structure responds to the unique movements performed in the sport.
- One part is the outer sole – a combination of the sole with the upper parts of the shoe, which offers grip on the sides as well as the sole. This is needed for jumping onto or from walls.
- The parts of the shoe that suffer from the most impact and abrasion have been given a greater sole or wall thickness.
- The gaps in the outer sole preserve excellent flexibility.
- When the outer sole does wear out, it can be changed without the need to replace the whole shoe.
- Another important element of 980 TATOU is the separate inner shoe. It allows the user to practice with a barefoot feeling and a high sensitivity for what lies underfoot.
- It can also be removed and changed, so the wearer can have different inner shoes for different applications.
- It is washable, so smelly shoes can be avoided!
- Insoles are an optional extra for 980 TATOU, and they come with three different absorption levels. They can be used to customize the shoe for one’s own personal preferences, depending on the application.
- Instead of shoelaces, 980 TATOU uses a new method of fastening which also enables the wearer to customize the shoe. Elastic bands in three different lengths are applied to the bottom and upper part of the shoe. Altogether, a maximum of seven bands in twenty different color choices can be attached to ten possible locations on the upper shoe. Thus, there are a multitude of possible lacing combinations.
The 980 TATOU won the Gold Prize at IDEA Design 2010.
Designer: Annika Lüber
