10 inventions with ties to NASA

Spacesuit's flex finds ski boot fame

The elbow and knee joints of spacesuits have accordionlike corrugations similar to those in a flexible drinking straw. The design prevents internal pressurization- and temperature-control plumbing from kinking as astronauts bend their limbs. In the late 1970s, one of the engineers who helped design the suits applied the concept to ski boots and a cult was born – the Raichle Flexon. The boot's tongue is corrugated, which allows it to flex without distorting the lower shell. Skiers swore by it and when the Swiss manufacturer halted production in 1996, devotees scrounged garage sales and online auction sites for spare parts and replacements. Then, in 2006, to much fanfare in the ski world, Full Tilt brought the model back into production because "the design works so well," says Jason Levinthal, a brand manager for the company.