Practical Benefits of Personalized Rowing Footwear: Newport Sea Base's Experience with Shimano Rowing Dynamics

In the competitive world of rowing, the smallest details drive performance, and equipment optimization is crucial for success. Shimano, a leader in cycling components, has successfully transferred its expertise to revolutionize rowing footwear.

Newport Sea Base offers rowing programs for athletes from middle school to masters level. From morning practice to afternoon practices, the same boats are used across multiple sessions daily with extreme variability in athlete sizes.

"We ended up finding that we were just picking the shoes that fit the biggest person,” explains James Long-Lerno, Head Under-19 Men’s Coach at Newport Sea Base. "Sometimes the small kids would be wearing their own shoes inside the shoe."

The Solution: Own Your Shoes

Newport Sea Base transitioned to Shimano Rowing Dynamics.

Gone were the days of oversized shoes and awkward adjustments between athletes of different sizes. Today, every competitive athlete brings their own Shimano shoes, ensuring a customized fit.

Key implementation steps included:

1. All competitive athletes at the club own their own Shimano shoes.
2. Allowing a one-month grace period for new members to acquire shoes.

3.     The club maintains a supply of program-owned shoes for recreational, middle school programs.

"Middle schoolers' feet are growing so fast that it’s not a realistic investment for them, so for those age-ranges, we supply club-owned pairs," notes Lacey Shelton, Head Under-17 Men’s Coach.

However, once rowers reach the competitive level - whether in high school or the Masters program - they purchase their own shoes. Within a month of joining, they are fully equipped.

For us, it's just a part of 'you need to have this to do your job,'" explains Shelton. "You are going to show up wearing the right gear. Why can’t you show up having your right equipment?"

This approach elevates rowing to the standard of other sports where athletes are expected to bring their own specialized equipment - cleats for soccer, basketball shoes for basketball players, or specialized running shoes for track athletes.

The personalized shoe system has even become part of the team culture. Shelton goes on to explain, “some of the kids do have fun with it. They'll paint their shoes. They'll have special carabiners to keep them together. There is an aspect where they get to show off their own personal style. And again, every sport has something that you need to bring to have a successful day."

This sense of ownership extends to equipment maintenance.

Athletes take greater care of their personal shoes, leading to fewer malfunctions and quicker reporting of issues when they do arise.

Perhaps one of the most appreciated benefits?

No more damp, shared shoes.

"That was a complaint; that shared shoes never dry out, and it's super wet and gross. They definitely like having their own shoes."

The Shimano system also simplified maintenance for the coaching staff.

"From a rigging standpoint, as a coach, I have experienced a lot less malfunction in terms of general practice," explains Long-Lerno. "The number of times that screws were sheared or coming loose, and you didn't realize it because nobody said anything, was a lot higher than it is nowadays."

For coaches, it means spending less time adjusting shoes and more time coaching. For the athletes, it means stepping into a boat that is always ready for them, no matter their size.

And the results speak for themselves.

The program won the Men’s Youth 4+ at the 2024 USRowing Youth National Championships, with athletes outfitted in their personal Shimano equipment.

For teams considering the switch, Newport's advice is simple: fully commit.

"The struggles and issues that we've had as a club were when we were partial Shimano. Pick the system you want and go all in."

Transitioning just a few boats or doing it in stages can cause confusion and inefficiency. Instead, when teams adopt the system across their entire fleet, the benefits multiply. Practices run smoother, equipment adjustments become rare, and athletes perform at their best.

As the sport continues to advance, partnerships between equipment manufacturers and rowing programs will be crucial in driving innovation and enhancing athletic performance. Shimano's success in this area sets a new standard for equipment optimization in rowing.