Simon Bartold is a graduate of Adelaide University where he gained a Bachelor Degree in Science with majors in Physiology and Zoology. His further qualification in Podiatry was gained at the University of South Australia. He graduated with honours and was awarded the University prize for dux of the course. Simon holds postgraduate fellowships in Sports Podiatry with the Australian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, in Sport Sciences with Sports Medicine Australia, and in the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine with the Royal college of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow)
In 1998 he was awarded the prestigious Best Clinical Paper award for original research at the Australasian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport. He repeated this feat in 2002 with a paper entitled “A Numerical Foot Model to Predict Sole Stability Parameters in Athletic Footwear”. In 2007 he was once again recognized for research excellence with a paper entitled “Effects of estrogen on the mechanical behaviour of the human Achilles tendon in vivo.”
It is the first and only time this award has been presented to the same researcher on multiple occasions.
In July 2009, Simon was awarded the Richard O Schuster Award by the American Podiatric Medical Association for outstanding contributions to Education and Research in the field of Biomechanics. It is the only time the recipient has been a non-North American native.
Simon has been an executive board member of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation and Past President of the Australian Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine, and remains the only podiatrist worldwide to ever hold a commission position with the International Sports Medicine Federation (F.I.M.S.).
He has been the consultant podiatrist to the Australian Institute of Sport Cricket Academy, The British Cricket Academy and the Indian cricket Team as well as a number of state and national sporting teams. He was a member of Podiatry Services at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, and again attended in Athens 2004 and Turin 2006. He attended his 4th Olympic games in London in 2012.
In 2007 and 2014 he was consultant podiatrist to the Port Power in the AFL
He has been an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport and the Australasian Physiotherapy Journal and a journal reviewer for the Australasian Journal of Podiatric Medicine and the British Journal of Sports Medicine. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee for the Australasian Journal of Podiatric Medicine
Simon has been an adjunct lecturer to the School of Health Sciences at the University of South Australia, and is a Fellow of the University of Melbourne at the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine (CHESM) and a Visiting Fellow at the University of Staffordshire. He has published over 30 papers in high impact peer-reviewed journals, has authored numerous book chapters and has lectured at international conferences in 42 countries.
His authored books, The Foot and Leg in Sport and Athletic Footwear: The Comprehensive Guide have been published to great acclaim. Research interests include the technical aspects of athletic footwear and pressure/force measurement in relation to intervention parameters and injury.
Simon worked as International Research Consultant for the global body of the Asics Corporation until July 2013 collectively gathering over 23 years of service. Simon is responsible for injecting some of the feature innovations that we still seein iconic Asics shoes today.
Simon started Bartold Biomechanics in 2012 with the view of delivering unrivalled online lower limb sports medicine to an international audience including individual clinicians, training institutions such as universities and corporate partners.
Simon lived and worked in France for nearly 5 years in senior roles within Salomon (Amer Sports), where he was engaged to develop the road running program from scratch with colleagues.
Simon is a performance footwear consultant, researcher, educator, mentor and innovator who currently works with Xblades footwear.