Naked Family Points
Individualization today is far more than just design that can be customized in terms of color. Especially sporting goods, where performance is essential, are now often individually tailored to the user and even exclusively produced. One-size-fits-all is therefore a thing of the past. To enable maximum comfort, minimal risk of injury, and best possible performance, sports equipment that fits 100 percent is needed. In this article, you will learn about the purchasing process of a "custom-sized" product and which sports equipment can already be adapted to your body shape and requirements.
How are customized sports articles produced?
To individually adapt a piece of sports equipment to your needs, an initial assessment must first be made. This means, depending on the product and the information required, the following will be queried or measured: what is your body type, which limbs/body parts are how long, what is your current athletic level, what is the intended area of use for your product...? Once all the necessary data has been collected, the manufacturing process begins. Usually, based on the collected information, an algorithm calculates the optimal technical data (size, fit, ...) for your product. After that, the sports equipment is individually manufactured for you.
What customized sports essentials are available?
Custom ski boots
For ski boots, individual customization has been widely adopted and established for several years. Here, the inner boot is either foam-fitted or heated so that it perfectly conforms to your foot shape. In addition, the outer shell is processed to compensate for specific foot positions and bunions and to further minimize pressure points. This process is usually performed on-site and requires a personal appointment with your boot fitter.
Custom insoles
The insoles in shoes can also be custom-made. This can be done either based on pre-evaluated foot deformities or entirely individually based on a foot impression. This impression is then analyzed, converted into a 3D model of your foot, allowing the insole to be manufactured exclusively for your foot shape.
Individual skis
Besides boots and insoles, complex items like skis can also be individually adapted to you and your riding style. Here, the current status is assessed with the help of an online questionnaire, which evaluates your skiing ability, skiing style, body proportions, and the intended area of use, and then selects the perfect ski with the ideal characteristics for you. This method is used, for example, by the austrian company Original+.
Individual bicycle
Individualization is also a big topic in the bike sector. While many bicycles can be adapted with the help of bike fitting and different attachments such as handlebars, stem, saddle, and crank, there are also bikes specifically adapted to your size. The well-known and successful Atherton siblings, Rachel Atherton, Gee Atherton, and Dan Atherton, founded the mountain bike brand Atherton Bikes a few years ago. Based in Wales, the former downhill pros offer individually built bicycles in 22 different sizes to have a perfectly fitting bike for every body size and proportion. This is made possible by 3D printed parts and the so-called lug construction. The frame consists of various tubes, which are connected or glued together with clamps/lugs. This means that the individual tubes can be produced in different lengths and assembled individually.
Exclusive bicycle saddle
In addition to the bike itself, the saddle is now also individually tailored to you by some providers, and at Posedla, for example, it is even exclusively 3D-printed for you. The process here is also relatively simple. You receive a kit at home to measure the optimal sit bone distance and the shape of your seating area. This is followed by biomechanical tests such as flexibility, BMI, body size, as well as an analysis of your riding style and the type of bicycle for which the saddle is being made. Finally, you can customize the color of the saddle and have your name or another message engraved. Afterwards, the saddle is 3D printed and delivered to your home.
3D printed bicycle helmet
3D printing technology is also used for the production of individual bicycle helmets. To get your exclusive bicycle helmet, you need to scan your head with a special app. Afterwards, you will receive a shell as a prototype to check if the fit is truly perfect. After your confirmation that the fit is optimal, your helmet will be printed and delivered to your home.
Custom-made road bike shoe
A process similar to bicycle helmets is now also being applied to road bike shoes. HEZO recently started offering individual 3D-printed road bike shoes, which are adapted to your foot shape using a digital foot scan. For the scan, only a standardized A4 sheet is needed as a size reference, and for accuracy reasons, the scan must be performed multiple times before the manufacturing process begins, to ensure that the shoe will fit perfectly. In addition to the size, the shoe can also be designed and customized in terms of color.
Individually width-adjusted sports glasses
Sports glasses used to be one of the only sports essentials available only in one-size-fits-all. However, with the SHYFT from NAKED Optics, this is no longer the case. Thanks to a face scan via the website, the individual face width can be determined and the glasses frame adjusted accordingly. Your sports glasses are then 3D printed using the determined data in the Multi-Jet-Fusion process, colored according to the selected design, and assembled with your preferred lens. Your individually width-adjusted sports glasses will be shipped within 7-10 business days, and you can test them. Despite the individual manufacturing, you can return the glasses within 30 days and receive your money back. This means you can try out the innovative The SHYFT yourself at any time, without risk and without high costs.
As can be seen from the examples given, one-size-fits-all and off-the-shelf goods are a thing of the past. Individualization and personal adjustment options are becoming increasingly important and enormously increase the comfort, safety, and functionality of many products. So, if you have problems with uncomfortable, slipping, or ill-fitting sports articles, try a custom-made product. The increased enjoyment and comfort that comes from properly fitting equipment during sports is definitely worth the often slightly higher price of these products.
Credits: Elias Neier