From running to research: Engineering student interns at Adidas
Combining a mechanical engineering major with a biomedical engineering minor, John Linehan used a six-month stint with Adidas in Germany to learn how shoe design blends with biomechanics.
John Linehan ran track as a student at Grafton High School in Yorktown, Virginia, but he took a different course when he came to Virginia Tech. With a strong desire to stay connected to the sport, he turned his focus to the products that athletes use.
“Since freshman year, I knew I wasn’t going to be a pro athlete, but I was obsessed with cross country and track,” he said. “I wanted that to be part of my life. There’s no way I could run those times, but I wanted to help pro athletes achieve those world records and crazy goals. An advisor helped me see the difference between approaches from different engineering disciplines, and I’ve been working toward that objective ever since.”
Linehan chose to major in mechanical engineering because of the versatility the degree offers and because he was interested in studying the structure and mechanics of shoes. Biomedical engineering became his minor, and the intersection of the two put him exactly where he wanted to be: developing and designing athletic shoes to best support the dynamics of a human foot.
Biomechanics in action
Linehan didn’t jump directly into designing his own soles, uppers, and laces. First, he approached Robin Queen to join the undergraduate research team in the Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Lab.
“John came to the Granata Lab with an interest in sports biomechanics with a specific interest in footwear,” Queen said. “Given some of the ongoing projects in the lab, John was able to begin working on a project exploring sex-based differences in performance and plantar loading when completing tasks in a soccer cleat and a football cleat. He was quickly able to learn the skills needed to help with the project.”
Once he was familiar with the application of biomechanics to specific types of shoes, he looked for new places to expand that knowledge. He scoured LinkedIn for internships across the globe. This led him to Adidas, where he applied for positions in both product development and testing.
The product testing division called him for an interview but didn’t offer him a position. Undaunted, he thanked the interviewer for the opportunity and asked for pointers. The interviewer went beyond advice. She recommended him to the product development manager, the other area in which he had applied. This time, he got the job.
Linehan spent six months in Germany with Adidas, taking two semesters away to study and work abroad. He found that the product development field expanded his view beyond the performance of the shoes to include the value of an appealing design for sales. In the internal structure of the company, he worked with factories in Asia and marketing teams in Germany to understand how the elements all come together to make the perfect athletic shoe.
Innovating athletic gear
Now entering his senior year, Linehan is switching his attention from the feet to the head as an undergraduate researcher in the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. As he approaches the final lap of his undergraduate career, the miles he’s logged along the way give him a better sense of how he’ll proceed after he completes his bachelor’s degree in May 2026.
“Whether it’s shoes or helmets, I’m fascinated by how the products work and interact with the body,” Linehan said. “I’ve learned that innovation in sports isn’t only about performance, it’s about solving problems, telling stories, and creating an impact for the sports community. These drive me to learn more about what really is possible for athletes and the products that help them to push and improve. I'm really glad I chose VT and have had such a supportive and positive community to help me achieve my goals."
