Why choose a specific shoe for race walking?
So you don't walk in running shoes!
Biomechanical studies carried out by Decathlon SportsLab with our technical partners have highlighted the specific needs of the foot in race walking: angle of attack on the ground, trajectory of foot pressure zones and intensity of the propulsion phase.
The choice of components, the geometry of the sole and the shape of the upper enable our race walking shoes to meet these needs perfectly.
We present the sole of a shoe designed specifically for athletic walking:
To support the outward-inward movement typical of athletic walking, the sole is rounded on the outside of the foot, with a pressure path from the heel to the ball of the foot.
The geometry of the heel gives you a wide angle of attack on the ground.
And the FlexH sole? The 3 H-shaped flex notches on the front of the sole give you greater flexibility when propelling.
What's behind the design of the RW 900?
To meet the needs of athletic walkers, we wanted a lightweight shoe: barely 200 g in size 43.
So we designed a thin upper and tongue, with a single layer and just 2 seams to avoid chafing and irritation.
And to give you the protection you need, we added seamless reinforcements, notably on the ball of the foot.
We let Jacques, our designer sum it up: "We just put what's needed, where it's needed."
How does a co-designed shoe... work?
To design the first athletic walking shoe, our design team met with the Villeneuve D'Ascq walking club. And they loved it:
"It was a wonderful encounter. We discovered passionate athletes who know their bodies and their sport inside out, but who were using running shoes! The shoe was really co-designed. The dynamic, the exchange, it was powerful. There was no shoe that met these needs, everything was new."
Want to beat your record?
As the design and prototypes progressed, more and more athletes wanted to try out and wear the RW 900. Among them? Yohann Diniz, Keny Guinaudeau, Emilie Menuet and David Kuster!
And the result is a lightweight shoe suited to race walking, which has accompanied athletes on many championships and records.
Are you ready to beat your record?
We're very proud...
... to have designed the first shoe dedicated to race walking, and above all to have done so thanks to your advice and opinions!
Because beyond our design team of 5 people, studies with the Sports Lab and prototypes, there are constant exchanges with clubs and feedback to improve your shoes and therefore your performance.
And now, there's even a community of 800 people on social networks exchanging views on race walking, all the way to Haiti!
