A highly innovative Welsh company is using the latest technology to ensure Welsh Elite Athletes due to compete in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games are kept on their toes.
Cardiff based Ace Feet in Motion provides podiatric biomechanical sports injury services to a host of top athletes and sportsmen and women in the UK through the use of computerised pressure plate scanning and CAD CAM equipment.
Sporting stars like Andrew Flintoff, Peter Crouch, Ryan Jones and Michael Carrick already use their services and Ace Feet in Motion is the official podiatrist for a range of sporting organisations including the WRU, Disability Sports Wales, the English Cricket Board, numerous rugby clubs and Cardiff and Swansea City football clubs.
It is currently working with the Welsh Commonwealth Games Team due to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this October.
The company was one of the first to invest in hi-tech state-of-the-art equipment to analyse the biomechanics of the foot whilst in motion and identify any irregularities in foot function.
These are corrected using tailor made insoles manufactured on site using the very latest CAD CAM equipment. Where necessary orthotic intervention can be built into handmade customised boots that are also made in their Cardiff facility. The demand for the company’s highly specialist services continues to grow around the UK.
On a visit to the company Lesley Griffiths, Deputy Minister for Science, Innovation and Skills, said the success of Ace Feet in Motion illustrated the importance of innovation.
“Innovation drives growth and fosters success giving companies a competitive edge and can also differentiate one business from another. It’s good to see an indigenous Welsh company with a staff skilled in a wide range of areas making a name for itself nationally – while also providing a first class service to our top athletes.”
Ace Feet in Motion also use the latest computer technology coupled to traditional craftsmen skills to design and make handmade football boots for top players to ensure they fit like a glove.
Having scanned the feet on the computerised pressure plate, any bio-mechanical irregularity is detected and the scans are fed into the CAD CAM equipment where they are digitised and the corrective insole designed. This data is then fed into the computerised milling machine that cuts out the insole which is then hand finished and incorporated into the boots.
This service was previously only available to the top professional players but Puma has teamed up with ACE Feet in Motion and Pro Direct Soccer to make this service available to the public next month.
Managing Director Bob Cooper said,
“We are the only company in the UK collaborating with Puma to offer this service and plan to expand this next month so the service will be available to anyone.
“It’s great news to be selected to work with Puma and reflects our expertise in this area as well as the importance of keeping one step ahead of the competition through investing in innovative products and services.”
The company operates from Sanatorium Road and offers Biomechanics/Sports Clinics, Gait Assessment Facility, Chiropody Clinic, Specialist Sports Footwear Centre and a Comfort Footwear Centre
It holds clinics in Cardiff, Swansea, Merthyr, and Bristol and also supplies to the NHS.
