The NFL has established a new foot and ankle subcommittee headed by Panthers physician Robert Anderson to address an “increase in lower-extremity injuries,” according to Jarrett Bell of USA TODAY. Footwear suppliers Nike and Reebok have “instituted new procedures that gather input more aggressively from trainers, equipment managers, coaches and players for product design.” Lions coach Steve Mariucci said, “We need to be smarter with our shoes, because some guys are cutting down for speed. They wear a real light shoe like it’s track. They want to look cool and run fast. Maybe that has something to do with some of these foot injuries, because they’re practically wearing slippers.” Bell notes that two years ago, Rams coach Mike Martz “order[ed] a five-year study of league injuries, which led to a focus on shoes,” after several of his linemen suffered foot injuries. The Rams worked with Nike “to modify or custom design shoes,” and in the past two years, Rams linemen have suffered no high ankle sprains. Bell notes Nike has “expanded its basic offering of football shoes by about 20% in the past three years.” Nike footwear administrator Jim Ford said that about 75 NFL players this season will wear “custom shoes borne from foot problems” ( USA TODAY, 9/8 ).
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| Equipment Providers Putting More Emphasis On Reducing Foot And Ankle Injuries |
