Contact analysis of trail running shoe lugs and sandy surfaces using finite element method

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Trail running shoes feature polymer lugs on the outsole to enhance grip performance on gravel and sandy surfaces during trail running competitions. The material of the lugs is a soft material such as rubber, and grip performance varies depending on their shape. Therefore, the design of lug shapes and their arrangement is highly important. When comparing commercially available shoes, it become clear that each shoe has different lug shapes and arrangements. In this study, contact analysis of a rubber lug and sandy surface were performed to establish a design method for trail running lugs. Sandy soil was simulated using SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) particles, and the frictional resistance force of a lug digging into the sandy surface was evaluated.