Cardiff Design Festival

Brief

To design a shin pad for professional footballers It must be comfortable, ergonomic and protect from serious injury, as currently: -shin pads offer no protection from serious injury -players don’t like wearing them as they are uncomfortable and restrictive -design has not evolved for 25 yrs -shin pads worn in 85% of lower leg breaks in football - In English football 15500 training days missed per year due to contact injuries -premier league club loses £500000 if a player breaks a leg

Result

We have developed the world’s most protective, comfortable and technologically advanced shin guard. It is the first shin guard that has been designed to meet the specific needs of the top Pro footballers in the world. The response from clubs has been phenomenal and we are currently in talks with 4 premier league clubs. Darren Pratley – Swansea City FC “These shin pads are quality. Exactly what I wanted and they fit perfectly. They’re strong, lightweight and comfortable as hell.”

Solution

-We designed a bespoke product in collaboration with pro footballers and physio’s -It uses 3D scanning to mould the shin pad to the exact shape of the users leg -Size and design is tailored to the exact specification of each player to maximise comfort and ergonomics -Shell is made from Kevlar and carbon fibre and utilises F1 tech. It’s extremely strong, lightweight and almost impossible to penetrate -Subjected to extreme testing to ensure it is the best product for impact resistance

Project website

http://www.rikoset.co.uk