Van phillips 1984 flex foot

The Paralympian, Jonnie Peacock, who took gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics owned and used this running blade. The blade is fitted with a knee socket and spike pad and is designed for leg amputee athletes to enhance their performance in short distance sprints.

The blades are made from a carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer which makes the blades strong and light.

More specifically, reinforced sheets of epoxy material are cut into square sheets and pressed onto a form to produce the final shape. The final product is highly flexible, which is important for the runner, as it allows the blade to store energy, giving the runner a stronger push off.

Running performance is also aided by a long flat toe, and an angled positioning of the blade, which puts the runner in a forward-leaning position.

Össur are the current manufacturers of the Cheetah series of prosthetics.

The original Flex-Foot Cheetah, however, was designed and released by the inventor Van Phillips in 1984