Kennewick, Washington (April 3, 2025) – Carbitex, the leader in flexible carbon fiber composites, has teamed up with performance insole brand, Blumaka, to create the first-ever dynamically flexible carbon-plated insole to target prevention and relief for athletes suffering from turf toe.

The new Blumaka Carbon Elite insole leverages Carbitex’s GearFlex technology and Blumaka’s Konnect GRF (Ground Reaction Force) Technology to address a condition that has been reported to occur in up to 45 percebr of NFL players1,2. Despite its innocuous-sounding name, turf toe is one of the most debilitating and career-threatening injuries in professional football.

“Turf toe is an extremely frustrating and common injury. And because it’s the big toe, it doesn’t seem like something that should sideline an athlete, but it does, and can be recurring,” says Junus Khan, founder and CEO of Carbitex. “The unique Carbitex GearFlex material integrated in the insole, flexes for a natural movement and agility, then stiffens to protect the big toe and generate more power. Paired with Blumaka’s NonSlip Technology, it’s the first dynamic turf toe intervention.”

The condition, a sprain of the ligaments around the big toe joint, can force players to miss significant playing time—NFL players who sustain turf toe injuries miss a median of 28 days according to recent studies1.

The Blumaka Carbon Elite Insole features address both prevention and recovery:

  • Carbitex GearFlex adapts dynamically, remaining flexible for natural movement at low angles, then stiffens as it bends to prevent over-rotation of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint—the root cause of turf toe.
  • Blumaka’s Konnect GRF Technology ensures maximum energy transfer, eliminating power loss from internal foot movement.
  • The combination enhances biomechanics, increasing ground reaction force for greater propulsion while protecting the vulnerable big toe joint.

“Between Carbitex’s ability to isolate a moment while the athlete is in motion, to gain rigidity at a targeted point in the MTP joint, and our NonSlip insole that eliminates power loss and maximizes ground reaction force, we believe this tool will have a significant impact for athletes at all levels,” says Stuart Jenkins, founder and CEO of Blumaka. “When players load up to eight times their body weight3 on that toe joint—that’s over 1,800 pounds for many NFL players—our technology adds protection without sacrificing performance.”

Research2 shows that turf toe not only causes significant loss of playing time but can lead to cascading injuries as football players compensate for the pain and limited mobility, and is also common in high impact field and court sports including lacrosse, baseball, soccer, basketball, and others. The Blumaka Carbon Elite Insole aims to break this cycle by preventing initial injury, recurrence, and supporting faster return to play without compromising performance.

1The Effect of Turf Toe Injuries on Player Performance in the National Football League. The Iowa Orthopaedic Jouranl, 39(2), 35–39.

2Turf Toe Injuries in the Athlete: an Updated Review of Treatment Options, Rehabilitation Protocols, and Return-to-Play Outcomes. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 16(11), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-023-09870-y

3High-Resolution MRI of the First Metatarsophalangeal Joint: Gross Anatomy and Injury Characterization. Radiographics: Radiological Society of North America, Inc, 40(4), 1107–1124. https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.2020190145