Shoes
BERKELEY, Calif., Dec. 6 -OPIS(TM), the Internet-based Optimal Performance Index System, today announced its public availability to the medical and athletic communities. Created by a team of sports medicine professionals, OPIS is the first patented system to address a fundamental breakdown between how athletic shoes are marketed and how they actually perform. For athletes recovering from injury or those seeking optimal performance, OPIS provides shoe recommendations in a simple, yet comprehensive format. Now medical and fitness professionals as well as athletes can select a shoe best matched to an individual profile by simply logging onto the OPIS website at http://www.opistest.com, entering the athlete's characteristics, and finding current information on which shoes are best suited to his or her needs.
Developed by Craig D. Norton, R.P.T., owner of the LaFoot sports medicine boutique, and a team of sports medicine professionals, OPIS measures and objectively ranks athletic shoes on key factors critical to the performance of any athlete. Until now, customers have had to primarily rely on shoe descriptions from the manufacturer or subjective user evaluations. There has never been an objective, comparative system for testing how a shoe actually functions based on a consistent unbiased methodology. The OPIS 2000(TM), created by Norton and the OPIS team, is a patented device that measures the key support system qualities of torsion control, vertical compression and fatigue factor of a given shoe. These aspects of shoe stability indicate how well biomechanical movement is controlled while running, and more stable shoes are associated with lower injury rates according to clinical studies. Shoes are ranked, indexed and entered into the OPIS database to provide a resource for medical and fitness professionals to make objective, accurate recommendations to patients and clients.
"With an increasing number of athletic shoe styles and performance claims introduced each year, we saw a need for a system that could objectively evaluate every shoe on the market," said Craig Norton, creator of OPIS. "We are delighted to offer sports medicine professionals and athletes of all levels a reliable and consistent source to help determine which shoes are the best for their specific needs."
Unlike other shoe testing methods, which generally rely upon subjective opinions from a group of athletes or consumers who test the shoe in advance of its release, OPIS objectively tests and ranks shoes against each other. This unbiased data is then compiled into a web-based interactive index system that allows users to enter their unique athletic profile, including their gender, gait, stature, and injury history. Once a person's profile is entered, OPIS identifies the best possible shoes to fit his or her needs, thereby improving performance and hastening rehabilitation.
As further validation about the importance of stability in shoe selection a recent study from the University of Uppsala, Sweden conducted a comprehensive test on the importance of shoe and foot analysis in the speeding of rehabilitation and the prevention of running/walking related injuries. The study recommends: "When choosing new walking or jogging shoes we recommend first and foremost that the stability of the shoes are checked followed by matching the foot type to the type of shoe selected."
The OPIS database is easy to use and available at three subscription levels: a one-month access period for $40.00, a one-year access period for $365.00 or one 24-hour access period for $10.00.
About OPIS
OPIS, The Optimal Performance Index System (http://www.opistest.com) is a patented athletic shoe evaluation system based on comparative, objective data. Developed by a team of sports medicine professionals, OPIS provides customized shoe recommendations matched to individual requirements that will facilitate better rehabilitation and performance. OPIS is web-based and provides scientific analysis of the most relevant features of athletic shoes including torsion control, vertical compression and fatigue factor.
About LaFoot
LaFoot, a sports medicine boutique based in Berkeley, California has provided clinical treatment as well as athletic shoes and sports medicine products since 1989. Founded by orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists, LaFoot has a fundamental commitment to providing products and services to facilitate biomechanical functionality so that activity levels as well as athletic performance are optimized. Using LaFoot clinical trials and innovative patented testing equipment, OPIS provides an objective way to compare and recommend shoes based on an individual's unique needs. With OPIS, shoes are tested, categorized and rank-ordered based on their effectiveness in stabilizing and cushioning the foot.
