HANOVER, Germany – Since 2007, international tire manufacturer Continental has supported sports equipment manufacturer adidas as a supplier of so-called "Traction Compound" soles for various shoes. Following an adidas project focusing on improving grip, a technology cooperation was established, which has resulted in more than 80 different shoes being made available on the market, also helping professional marathon runners to break numerous records, according to the company. 
The many parallels between tires and shoes were clear to see, Continental says. Tires are to cars what shoes are to runners – they form the only connection with the road and must ultimately be able to transmit all of the forces involved. It was not about simply maximizing the grip properties across a single dimension, as running shoes require a certain degree of flexibility to prevent injuries. In the case of tires, the individual performance characteristics required on dry, wet, and snow-covered road conditions vary dramatically with the need to perform as well as possible while satisfying countless criteria and at the same time guaranteeing a perfect balance. This is exactly what is involved in the manufacturing of Continental products, as it is to adidas for running shoes, the company says.
Continental says the cooperation has proven that working together with leading companies from other industries can be highly beneficial in the long term, generating sustainable, competitive advantages that would not be possible if companies restricted their activities to only their own field of expertise. Who knows whether the current marathon world record (2:08:23), achieved by Kenyan Wilson Kipsang during the 40th Berlin Marathon in 2013, or the previous world record (2:08:38) achieved during the same race in 2011 by his compatriot Patrick Makau, would have been possible without the premium rubber technology from Continental.
The "Rubber for Running" case study, which comprises 11 pages, includes numerous facts, images and interviews with managers involved in the cooperation between Continental and adidas, as well as quotations from various professional marathon runners. After breaking the world record in 2011, Makau enthusiastically reported that he could really feel the grip that enabled him to accelerate around bends. And since the sale of adidas running shoes with Traction Compound soles from Continental has grown significantly since 2007, the cooperation can be seen as a real win-win situation for everyone involved, the company stated.
