Should Smart Shoes Be Banned from Competitive Events?
Titanium golf clubs. Graphite tennis rackets. Aluminum baseball bats. Advances in
technology have impacted many sports. Now, Adidas is changing the sport of running
with the introduction of a computerized running shoe. The light-weight, batterypowered shoe, sometimes called a “smart shoe”, contains a sensor and a 20 MHz
microprocessor. Every second, the sensor sends thousands of readings to a tiny
mobile computer, which uses a motorized screw and cable system to adjust the heel
cushion based on the conditions and the runner’s style. The goal is to endure ideal
cushioning for the runner and the situation. The smart shoe is innovative, but is it
fair? To maintain competitive balance, the governing bodies of golf and tennis place
restrictions on the composition of equipment. Some racers would be like similar
limitations placed on running shoes. At a cost of about $250, the smarter shoe
could provide an unfair advantage to wealthier runners. The advantage would be
evident at high school, college and amateur races, where not all racers could afford
the shoe.
1. Should smart shoes be banned from races? Why or why not?
2. Baseball banned aluminum bats at the professional level; should smart shoes
be banned at high school, college, and amateur levels, where they would be
most apt to upset competitive balance. Why?