The way the outsole rolls into the upper ensure no hard edges, so that even when the foot lands at 85 degrees, it naturally moves back to flat.Īvoli founders Mark Oleson and Rick Anguilla. The outsole includes an aggressive tread pattern with octopus-styled suction cups for grip and a compound designed for the court. The midsole includes a moderator plate to support the athlete's foot. 'The spring and dampener model is based on how athletes are jumping and landing,' Oleson says, focusing on energy absorption without making the shoe feel dead. The foam compound was designed specifically for volleyball-this isn't a quick-rebound foam as found in running-and the geometry of the footbed was meant to eliminate pressure points, especially in the heel. Inspired by a mountain bike, the spring and dampener system has a high energy return. Eliminating the heel-to-toe running design found in many court shoes, Avoli places cushioning in the forefoot to handle the compression unique to volleyball and ups the cushioning on the heel to help with pivoting and rotating while ensuring a dampener and spring system provides the volleyball-specific balance of energy return and energy absorption. Then came a focus on jumping, especially for a sport where the players jump up to four times as much as in basketball.
