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Sneaker innovation (or the Footwear Novelty Gimmick Contest, depending on your point of view) continues. Hot on the heels of Reebok's crazy ATV-style shoe and Adidas' Boost foam comes Puma's Mobium Runner, a sneaker that "expands and contracts with your foot." Two tendon-like attachments running underneath the shoe, and inspired by the plantar fascia connective tissue on the sole of your foot, reportedly allow the shoe to do this.

Whether or not you believe they work, Puma Innovation Team designer Raymond Horacek looks like he has an awesome gig: Based out of their Japan studio, Horacek sketches, wades through Tokyo, quotes Gaudí and studies cats:

Here's a closer look at the shoe and what the thinking is behind their approach:

While I freely admit I'm skeptical of so-called footwear advances, it's probably cynicism more than anything else; bottom line, I'm glad there are multiple companies competing with each other and throwing money into this kind of research, supporting experimental design and employing industrial designers.

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