APL's New Hoops Sneakers May Help You Jump Higher
Talk about turning a diss by one of pro sports’ biggest leagues into a positive.
In 2010, Athletic Propulsion Labs, better known today as APL, was a little-known basketball sneaker company trying to make a name for itself. But its innovations pushed things a bit too far, crossing the fine line between augmenting your natural leaping ability and creating an unfair advantage on the court. And that led the NBA to ban all APL kicks from the league.
That never stopped APL, which has continued to develop cutting-edge sneakers. And to commemorate the 10th anniversary of its ban from bigtime basketball, the brand released two new styles of basketball sneakers that again push the envelope. Meet the APL Superfuture and the APL Concept X, and expect a zippier vertical leap with both pairs of kicks.
Both the Superfuture and the Concept X evolve APL’s Load ‘N’ Launch technology, the same tech the NBA deemed a performance enhancer a decade ago. The Superfuture has an 8-spring system that drives added elevation on your leaps. The Concept X, meanwhile, adds a full-length carbon-fiber plate to the mix to pack in even more elevational pop.
There’s something fitting about APL releasing a shoe that includes a carbon-fiber plate, too. Carbon-fiber plates are one of the most potent advances in running shoes in recent years, delivering significant energy return to each and every running stride you take, essentially helping to propel you forward. Along with new foams that both absorb and redeliver force better, carbon-fiber plates have helped change the face of running shoes in 2020.
Earlier this year, before the 2020 Olympics were postponed, World Athletics, a top governing body for international sport, effectively banned a great number of carbon-fiber-powered shoes for the Olympics by announcing that no shoe that hadn’t been available for four months prior to competition could be used in competition. It was largely an attempt to bring regulation to a running shoe market that’s seen heavy innovation.
Now, that same tech is in the Concept X, and why not? APL isn’t handcuffed by any sporting shoe governing body, so why not try to make a wildly innovative shoe that’ll take your leaping to the next level? Unconcerned about meeting regulations, APL is trying to push the shoe game forward.
Really, it’s what running shoes have been doing for the last several years. Truth be told, we live in a golden age of sneaker innovation. Running shoes have those carbon-fiber plates and new foams. Adidas pushes comfort to new levels. And Nike’s Adapt tech laces your kicks for you.
A decade ago, APL was on that cutting edge. Nice to see they’re still at it.
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