Performance testing of 150 baseball athletes and more than 1,650 swings demonstrates gains in exit velocity, consistency and first-swing readiness
WINDHAM, N.H. — SQAIRZ, the performance footwear company built on the belief that better movement starts with a better foundation, today announced new performance data gathered during the CURVE Sports Regional West Showcase demonstrating measurable improvements in hitting performance when athletes switched from their personal footwear to SQAIRZ baseball footwear.
Across two days of testing, 150 athletes completed 1,655 recorded swings, establishing performance baselines in their own footwear before hitting in SQAIRZ. The results showed that 82% of the athletes tested improved either peak exit velocity, average exit velocity or both while wearing SQAIRZ.
Among the 123 athletes who demonstrated improvement, the results included:
- +1.59 mph average improvement in peak exit velocity
- +2.63 mph improvement in average exit velocity, a measure of swing-to-swing consistency
- 91% of the improved athletes increased their average exit velocity
- 81 athletes improved both peak and average exit velocity
- Performance gains across developing, mid-range and high-power hitter groups
The testing also found that wearing SQAIRZ footwear improved the first swing and offered performance benefits across hitter profiles.
- Athletes wearing SQAIRZ averaged 54 mph on their first swing, exceeding the group’s average final-swing performance in their personal footwear (when athletes typically increased their performance over several swings) and indicating that a stable foundation may help athletes access their power more consistently from the moment they step into the batter’s box.
- 28% of athletes recorded their maximum exit velocity on their first swing in SQAIRZ, compared with 14% in their personal footwear.
- Among athletes who improved while wearing SQAIRZ, developing hitters with baseline exit velocities below 75 mph increased peak exit velocity by an average of 68 mph and average exit velocity by 2.74 mph; mid-range hitters between 75 and 85 mph improved peak exit velocity by 1.71 mph and average exit velocity by 2.76 mph; and even high-power hitters entering the test at 85 mph or greater improved peak exit velocity by an average of 1.05 mph and average exit velocity by 2.07 mph.
- Individual performances were even more pronounced. The largest recorded increase in peak exit velocity was +7.0 mph, while the largest improvement in average exit velocity was +13.0 mph.
“A shoe shouldn’t be viewed as a fashion accessory. It should be viewed as a piece of performance equipment, just like a bat, glove or any other tool an athlete relies on to compete,” said Bob Winskowicz, Founder and CEO of SQAIRZ. “That belief is why we created what we believe is the first truly biomechanically engineered performance shoe platform. SQAIRZ designs footwear around how the human body actually moves, beginning with its connection to the ground. We’ve spent years studying that relationship, testing it with athletes and seeking scientific validation of what we see in the data. At every level of sports, athletes are searching for an edge. Sometimes that edge is sitting right underneath their feet.”
Where Athlete Development Meets Performance Innovation
CURVE Sports has built its athlete-development model around objective testing, trusted data and measurable progress, while SQAIRZ has spent years studying how an athlete’s connection to the ground can influence movement and performance. Together, the organizations are examining an often-overlooked variable in athletic performance: what athletes put on their feet.
“CURVE Sports exists to strengthen the foundation beneath baseball so clubs can focus on coaching and culture, athletes can develop more thoughtfully, and families can feel confident in the journey,” said Sandy Ogg, CEO of CURVE Sports. “What we saw at the Regional West Showcase is a great example of that philosophy in action. When you can take something athletes use every day, like their footwear, test it objectively and demonstrate measurable differences in performance, you give athletes and coaches information they can actually use. That is what makes our relationship with SQAIRZ so compelling. We share a belief that better development starts with better information, and that every part of the athlete’s performance system should be measured, understood and continually improved.”
The Regional West Showcase provided an opportunity to put that shared philosophy into practice. By measuring athletes in their existing footwear and then measuring the same athletes in SQAIRZ under the same event conditions, the organizations were able to examine footwear using the same objective, data-driven approach increasingly applied to bats, swing mechanics, exit velocity and other aspects of baseball performance.
CURVE measures how athletes perform. SQAIRZ improves the foundation they perform from. Together, the organizations are helping athletes find performance they may not have known was under their feet.
Proper Fit Reinforces the Connection to the Ground
The testing also produced an important insight into footwear fit.
During initial testing, 31 athletes were identified as wearing SQAIRZ footwear approximately one-half size too large. After those athletes were resized and retested, the group improved peak exit velocity by an average of 0.90 mph and average exit velocity by 0.80 mph compared with their initial SQAIRZ test.
The finding reinforces the importance of proper footwear fit in creating the secure connection between the athlete’s foot, shoe and ground necessary for efficient movement.
SQAIRZ footwear is engineered around a patented roomier toe-box geometry and performance platform designed to allow the toes to sit naturally while creating stability through the midfoot and heel. The resulting foundation is designed to promote balance, stability and more efficient ground-force transfer during athletic movement.
Rethinking Footwear as Performance Equipment
The CURVE Sports testing adds to a growing body of SQAIRZ performance research examining the relationship between footwear, ground interaction and athletic performance.
Rather than beginning primarily with aesthetics, cushioning or conventional footwear geometry, SQAIRZ designs its performance platform around human biomechanics and how an athlete interacts with the ground during movement.
That philosophy has driven years of product development, athlete testing and scientific evaluation across multiple sports.
“Baseball has become incredibly sophisticated about measuring the bat, the ball, launch angle, exit velocity and virtually every part of an athlete’s movement,” Winskowicz said. “Yet the athlete’s connection to the ground is still too often overlooked. Everything an athlete generates starts at the ground. Our job is to make that connection work harder for them.”
About SQAIRZ
SQAIRZ designs biomechanically engineered performance footwear that helps athletes generate more power, stability and confidence from the ground up. Through patented technology and independent scientific validation, SQAIRZ footwear is engineered to improve balance, maximize ground-force transfer and enhance movement across golf, baseball, softball, pickleball, medical and occupational applications. For more information, visit https://sqairz.com/
About CURVE Sports
CURVE Sports is a baseball-first operating platform designed to strengthen clubs, support long-term player development, and improve the experience for families. By connecting Diamond Allegiance and CURVE Test Centers, CURVE Sports aligns coaching, development services, and trusted data into one integrated ecosystem, helping clubs operate more effectively while preserving independence and culture. For more information, visit CURVEsports.com.
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