Shoes Claiming Higher Jumps Banned By The NBA
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP) -- The NBA is prohibiting its players from wearing a new line of sneakers that claims to increase vertical leap.
"Under league rules, players may not wear any shoe during a game that creates an undue competitive advantage," the NBA said in a statement on October 19th.
Athletic Propulsion Labs' $300 Concept 1 shoe employs a spring-based system designed to increase lift by 3.5 inches, according to the manufacturer.
The Los Angeles-based company was founded by twins Adam and Ryan Goldston, both former USC basketball walk-ons whose father worked in the shoe industry.
CBS 5 asked USF senior Adam Linder and sophomore Abe Rojas to try the Concept 1 shoes. Both agreed the shoes were comfortable and lightweight.
When asked if the shoes made him jump 3 inches higher, Rojas said, "Maybe a quarter of an inch."
"I definitely got closer to the rim, than with my other shoes," Linder said.
The brothers said that many NBA players, including about 30 percent of the rookie class, expressed interest in the shoes but they wouldn't reveal names because the players had signed with other companies.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
