Non-Contact ACL Injuries are devastating, costly,
and preventable!
Insolia Field Outsole Innovations
The boot’s single center of rotation is aligned with the foot’s primary center of rotation around the Great Toe Joint.
No motion-restricting studs are placed under the Great Toe Joint.
A unique Zone of Flexibility™ geometry bends around the Great Toe Joint.
An “Air Gap” decouples outsole forces from the bottom of the Great Toe Joint.
Insolia® Field
Reducing Non-Contact ACL Injuries
Through Cleat Design
The Insolia Field Boot/Insole System
Built on Six Innovations
Boot Innovations
1) Align the Boot’s Single Center of Rotation with the Foot’s Primary Center of Rotation
Insolia Field Arranges ALL Studs
AROUND the Great Toe Joint
Creating a SINGLE Center of Rotation
The Insolia Field stud design places a single Center of Rotation aligned with the Great Toe Joint, which is the foot’s primary Center of Rotation, during high-force cutting maneuvers.
Furthermore, the curvature of each stud matches the radius it’s on around the Center of Rotation.
This allows the entire boot to rotate with 20% less torque than standard designs, without compromising linear traction.
This reduces torque into the knee, and together with Insolia Flex, encourages heel lift and protective forward weight shift.
US Soccer / Football Boots Generally Do Not Have a Single Center of Rotation
When a soccer boot has more than one Center of Rotation, it effectively has NO Center of Rotation.
Confused? Imagine a door with hinges on both sides. Can you open it? No.
The boot shown here is marketed with the claim that it was “designed to help reduce the risk of knee injury caused by rotational traction.” However, it will only “work” if you are on your toes, or on your heels with your toes in the air.
It will not work during high-force maneuvers when the foot is flat on the ground.
2) No Motion Restricting Studs Under the Great Toe Joint
Insolia Field Places Studs AROUND
the Great Toe Joint, Not Under It
The Insolia Field stud pattern places three studs around the Great Toe Joint. The dome between those three studs accommodates the “Air Gap,” a depression in the top surface of the outsole, which prevents the full force of a high-speed cut from reaching the underside of the Great Toe Joint.
This, in combination with Insolia Flex in the Field Boot’s insole, encourages the Great Toe Joint to Flex, encouraging heel lift and protective forward weight shift.
A Critical Difference is the Stud Location Relative to the Great Toe Joint
Standard cleat designs often place a stud under the Great Toe Joint, which restricts its flexibility.
Since the entire foot’s motion is integrated, restricting the Great Toe Joint’s motion affects the coordination of all the other foot joints.
This primary restriction prevents the motion required for safe deceleration. This effect blocks timely heel lift by inhibiting ankle plantarflexion and, therefore, forward weight shift during the gait cycle.
In contrast, the Insolia Field stud pattern places three studs around the Great Toe Joint.
3) Incorporate a Zone of Flexibility in the Outsole to Enable to Boot to Flex Around the Great Toe Joint
The Zone of Flexibility is Hidden!
The Zone of Flexibility is molded into the Top surface of the Outsole.
This keeps the bottom of the outsole smooth, minimizing rotational resistance.
The interior geometry also resists excessive bending of the foot.
Only the slots cut into the side wall and the Dome on the bottom indicate that the Zone of Flexibility is present.
The Zone of Flexibility is Designed
Around the Great Toe Joint
It connects the rigid forefoot to the rigid midfoot and heel.
With a width of 3 to 4 cm, the Zone of Flexibility adapts to the player’s foot, allowing the outsole to bend around the Great Toe Joint.
This enables the heel to lift and weight to shift protectively forward during deceleration.
Flexing the Insolia Field Outsole
4) Add an “Air Gap” Under the Great Toe Joint
To minimize the risk of upward pressure on the Great Toe Joint, a spherical shape cuts into the Zone of Flexibility to provide an “Air Gap” that isolates the underside of the Great Toe Joint from the upward pressure that peaks during aggressive cutting motions on the field.
The Dome on the bottom side of the outsole matches the Air Gap and maintains the structural integrity of the outsole at the point of peak pressure during cutting motions on the field.
Insole Innovations
Space Holder
5) Build Insolia Flex™ Into the Insolia Field Insole
HBN’s patented Insolia Flex technology
Delivers the following benefits:
Enhances biomechanical efficiency
Measured a 10% reduction in VO2/kg while walking
Increases perceived forefoot comfort
Measured a 40% increase in Comfort Score while walking
The Asymmetric Insolia Flex Depression sits under the Great Toe Joint (A)
The Depression allows the Great Toe Joint to drop
The Asymmetry allows the Great Toe Joint to evert
This allows the Arch B to rise to its ideal position for each phase of the gait cycle
These two simultaneous motions:
Dropping and Everting
Supports ankle plantarflexion
Achieving a Protective Position
6) Build Insolia Cradle™ Into the Insolia Field Insole
HBN’s patented Insolia Cradle technology
Delivers the following benefits:
A Calcaneus Matching Heel Cup
Matches the irregular shape of the heel bone’s bottom surface.
Provides an improved platform for balance, stability, and function
An Asymmetric Medial Side Extension
Reduces the strain on the plantar fascia
Results in improved standing and moving comfort
Insolia Sports Technology
Protects More that the ACL
In addition to ACL tears, there are three other common sports injuries for which our technology can lower risk potential.
Achilles Tendon Strain and Rupture
Due to the inhibition of heel lift
Lateral Ankle Sprain
Due to excessive inversion of the foot
Turf Toe
Due to the jamming of the Great Toe Joint
All of the above relate to rotation about the Great Toe Joint.
When the Great Toe Joint can’t properly rotate, both in timing and degree, the body must to compensate for that lack of motion. The compensations are compromises that increase the risk of injury.
In summary, Insolia Sports Technology is focused on improving the function of the Great Toe Joint in order to reduce the potential for injury.
Importantly, these same principles are applicable via insole and outsole design in sports shoes for all court activities, including basketball, pickleball, and tennis.
Insolia Field
Built on Decades of Innovation
HBN Shoe was founded to solve one of Women’s Most Challenging Comfort Problems - High Heeled Shoes
Over 60 million pairs of all types of footwear containing one or more Insolia Technologies have been sold globally, providing measurable improvements in walking, body health, and comfort.
Learn more about HBN Shoe’s work in Fashion & Comfort.
ACL injuries occur when athletes are improperly positioned during deceleration or landing
“The data revealed most (70%) ACL injuries transpired with minimal to no contact. Injured athletes were in close proximity to opposing players at the time of injury and either possessed the ball or were defending an opponent in possession of the ball.”
“The non-contact ACL injury occurred immediately following foot-strike with the knee close to full extension, and involved two common athletic maneuvers: a sudden deceleration or a landing motion on a single leg.”
Mechanism of Non-Contact ACL Injury
Barry P. Boden, MD, Frances T. Sheehan, PhD
Boden’s work, shows that ankle dorsiflexion (toes pointed up) is what he terms the "provocative position” for ACL injury.
In contrast, ankle plantarflexion (toes pointed down) during landing and deceleration is the critical marker of safety.
Because lower extremity joint motions are coordinated, foot/ankle position impacts how the knee manages potential injury.
Due to this coordination, weight-bearing ankle plantarflexion cannot occur without Great Toe Joint flexibility.
Limiting the Great Toe Joint flexibility restricts ankle plantarflexion and thus predisposes the athlete to greater injury potential.
The True Cost of Preventable Injuries
Player Impact: Beyond the Physical Injury
ACL injuries devastate individual athletes far beyond the initial trauma. Recovery requires 6-13 months of rehabilitation, during which athletes face both physical and psychological challenges. Even after this extended recovery, the threat of reinjury looms large—studies document ipsilateral graft reinjury rates of 7-8% and contralateral ACL tear rates reaching 8.6%. Most concerning for professional athletes, only 83% of elite players return to their pre-injury sport level, with just 55% returning to competitive play. For the 17% who never regain their previous form, careers effectively end during peak earning years.
The Gender Disparity Crisis: An Urgent Call for Innovation
Female athletes face a disproportionate burden, suffering ACL injuries at 2.2 times the rate of male athletes in soccer, with some studies showing rates as high as 2.6 times greater.
This disparity requires immediate attention and is a significant market opportunity for protective technology. With women's professional leagues expanding globally, the need for equipment designed to address gender-specific biomechanical factors has never been more urgent.