Mechanical Simulation of Shoe Sole Materials

The sole of the shoe is one of the most important parts in shoe designing, and various properties are required of shoe soles. Especially, it is said that cushioning is a significant factor. This cushioning property depends upon the shoe sole material and structure. EVA is usually applied to running shoe soles. Clarifying the EVA mechanical properies is important to the designing of sole cushioning. However, it is difficult to predict the EVA mechanical behavior, because EVA materials have both non-linearity and strain rate dependency. In this study the mechanical behaviors of EVA materials were simulated by using numerical simulation. Based on the simulation system, the influences of running velocity and runner's weight upon the EVA cushioning are discussed. The results showed that EVA cushioning property is affected by running velocity more than by runner's weight.