FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 is the ultimate catwalk for soccer boots and this blog combines an interest in football with footwear. Soccer shoes have evolved from engineer's boot to cleated slippers which come to represent all that is known in the science and craft of shoe-making. As a shoe historian, I review the evolution of the soccer boot and post related issues.
FIFA World Cup TM Trophy is currently on a nine-month global tour . The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour kicked off in Moscow and traveled across Russian cities until December, when it continued its journey abroad visiting over 50 countries across six continents. The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour was first introduced ahead of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Then it visited 29 countries and saw over 175,000 football fans taking pictures next to the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
When not on tour or being presented at the World Cup, the Trophy is normally displayed at the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich.
After it was noted many people during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ watched the World Cup games away from the stadia and their own domestic televisions Impromptu gatherings made it clear, sometimes with hndreds of people meant there was a greter social component to the World Cup than had been previously recognised. FIFA introduced the FIFA Fan Fest™ became part of the Official Programme at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany . Locations for the FIFA Fan Fests were large enough to accommodate many thousands of people, and gigantic LED displays broadcast the matches live. This allowed many fans unable to afford the price of match tickets the opportunity to cheer on their national teams with other supporters. The carnival-like atmosphere soon proved popular and thousands of supporters flocked to the sites to watch all the games.The FIFA Fan Fest™ proved the perfect place to watch all matches of the FIFA World Cup™ live, and to enjoy an exciting music and cultural entertainment programme, free of charge on matchdays.
(Video Courtesy: André Scheffler Youtube Channel)
At the the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM, the FIFA Fan Fests was expanded to include not only the South African host cities but 7 other cities around the world. Over six million football fans gathered to watch the tournament.
In 2014. The FIFA Fan Fests was held in each of Brazil's 12 host cities. 5,154,386 attended FIFA Fan Fests in Brazil during the World Cup, with Rio de Janeiro's spectacular Copacabana site attracting 937,330 which was the highest number in any individual city.
(Video Courtesy: Lucas Brito Youtube Channel)
The 2018 FIFA World Cup™ , FIFA Fan Fest™ venues are located in the eleven host cities in Russia.
(Video Courtesy: FIFATV Youtube Channel)
French World Cup winner Marcel Desailly and former Russia international Aleksandr Kerzhakov officially opened the FIFA Fan Fest zone in Moscow, in front of thousands of fans.
Researchers at Queen's University, Belfast have suggested the human vision system is unable to predict the trajectory of a curving ball through the air. If true, this means goal keepers are handicapped and rely on chance to save rocket shots from sharp shooters like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Lionel Messi.
(Video Courtesy: Messi MagicTM Youtube Channel)
Goal keepers were asked to watch computer simulation of spinning shots of 600 revolutions per minute and predict how the spin would influence the ball’s trajectory. Even professionals failed to do this. Spinning balls do not occur naturally and the side spin on the ball produces something called a Magnus force. This accelerates the ball in a direction that humans simply cannot visually process and the skill of the keeper to make a save from a bending ball is based on an educated guess.
(Video Courtesy: Veritasium Youtube Channel)
The Magnus effect was first described by German physicist Heinrich Magnus in 1853. It is a product of various phenomena including the Bernoulli effect. According to Bernoulli's principle, the pressure is lower on the side where the velocity is greater, and consequently there is an unbalanced force at right angles to the wind. This is the magnus force. Another variable is the formation of boundary layers in the medium around moving objects.
(Video Courtesy: Veritasium Youtube Channel)
The boundary layer is that layer of fluid in the immediate vicinity of a bounding surface. In the atmosphere the boundary layer is the air layer near the ground affected by diurnal heat, moisture or momentum transfer to or from the surface. The Boundary layer effect occurs at the field region in which all changes occur in the flow pattern. The boundary layer distorts surrounding nonviscous flow. It is a phenomenon of viscous forces. This effect is related to the Leidenfrost effect and the Reynolds number.
(Video Courtesy: Ron Hugo Youtube Channel)
The ball spinning through the air creates a whirlpool of rotating air about itself. On one side of the object, the motion of the whirlpool will be in the same direction as the wind stream that the object is exposed to. On this side the velocity will be increased. On the other side, the motion of the whirlpool is in the opposite direction of the windstream and the velocity will be decreased. The pressure in the air is reduced from atmospheric pressure by an amount proportional to the square of the velocity, so the pressure will be lower on one side than the other causing an unbalanced force at right angles to the wind. The overall behaviour is similar to around an aerofoil with a circulation which is generated by the mechanical rotation, rather than by aerofoil action. An experienced player can place a wide array of spins on the ball, the effects of which are an integral part of the sport itself. The way the ball spins and changes the air flow can really confuse the opposition," says Dr David James, of Sheffield Hallam University, Centre for Sport and Exercise Science.
(Video Courtesy: mr bundesteam
Youtube Channel)
The surface of the ball is affected by its shape and stitching which increase traction between the ball and boot. The Adidas Telstar 18 has six textured panels. These are not stitched, but seamlessly glued together. This makes the ball a lot more round with better sphericity, so it behaves more like a billiard ball than the traditional bladder. Changes in the design of football boots including improved traction on the boot upper and greater sole stiffness combine to give better control of the ball by the player.
The origins of the name soccer are thought to have come from an Oxford footballer by the name of Charles Wreford Brown (1863). He borrowed 'socc' from Association and added 'er' to give the term "socc'er'". Such vernacular was common at the time and gave counter speak to the other football code, rugby or "rugger". By ironic coincidence the Latin word for slipper is soccus, and in antiquity the soccus was worn by entertainers, women and effeminate young, men. It described a simple slipper or calceoli and laterally became a sock that fitted loosely so they could be removed quickly. Soccus were commonly dyed yellow from the seed of the pomegranate.
Fashion dictates meant the original soccer boot became a soccer slipper. Black boots were once universal but as more colourful boots graced the field fans became suspicious as to the to the sexual orientation of the wearer. In a world once the prerogative of the heterosexual anything other than 100% machismo was vocally criticised from the terracing. Thankfully these days are gone and blistering feats in colourful boots are all part of the modern game. Fashion never rests and now hi boots have crept back into fashion.
In the 2005 Ping Pong video (Nike), Brazilian superstar Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (Ronaldinho), laces a pair of gold soccer shoes in an empty FC Barcelona's training ground stadium and starts juggling a ball with the new boots. He proceeds to the top of the 18-yard box, keeping the ball aloft as he goes, and then does the unimaginable. With the ball never touching the ground, the twice FIFA World Player of Year casually strikes a right-footed shot that hits the crossbar and rebounds back to him. He traps the ball on his chest and repeats the feat three more times. all in one camera take. Likely to be computer trickery of course, but the Brazilian sumpremo’s natural talent makes it all the more credible.
Twelve million people watched 'Ping Pong' which is eleven million. nine hundred thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine more people than spied a young Jimmy “Jinky” Johnstone (Celtic and Scotland ). Dubbed the 'Lord of the Wing', his former Scotland manager Tommy Docherty in a television interview, commented in his formative youth with no real mates other than his football he endlessly hit a ball against the gable wall to become a master of footwork. No trickery there.
Footgear plays a vital role in a footballer's game with even minor irritations resulting in painful blisters. In a warm up game against New Zealand in 2016, two weeks prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup TM , Brazil captain, Ronaldo limped off after complaining he had four blisters on his left foot and two on his right. The Brazilian doctor, Jose Luiz Runco was convinced his blisters were caused by a defect in Ronaldo's boots. Ooops !! The BBC confirmed Ronaldo’s old boots were sent for.
The Brazilian Captain made a full recovery and was able to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup TM. Brazil were eventually knocked out in the quarter finals.
Preparing boots for play is a necessary task, even for superstars. Most of us do not have the luxury of a new pair of boots each time we grace the field which makes life a little easier, but routine care and maintenance is recommended if irksome problems like blisters are to be avoided.
According to FIFA and Kantar Media , over three billion people watched the 2014 FIFA World Cup TM, making soccer the most watched sport in the world. Despite the rivalry between loyal fans, the beautiful game in the wake of war and international disputes is also considered to be the “peacemaker” of the 21st century. So what is it that makes twenty two people kicking a round ball about that so compulsive viewing for millions?
According to a study published in the New Scientist, what holds our attention is, the excitement factor, or more simply put the idea anything can happen in the next 45 minutes. Other codes have their attractions but soccer takes the crown, according to the findings of New Mexican researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory. The research team analyzed results from more than 300,000 games over the last century from the US's national hockey, football, baseball and basketball leagues and the top English football league. Researchers looked for factors which attracted spectators to a specific sport. Their results showed the "upset frequency" was highest for soccer, followed by baseball, hockey, basketball and finally American football. Rugby and cricket were omitted because they do not have a big following in the US.
Seems it is the “Jack the Giant killer” prospect i.e. the underdog beating a favoured team, which is compelling. Something that has been witnessed many times in the earlier rounds of the FIFA World Cup TM tournaments.
By contrast, the researchers compared data from the past 10 years and found the “upset frequency” associated with English Football Premiership and US baseball, surprisingly, the data would suggest the popularity of soccer is beginning to fall behind. The authors concluded soccer might have peaked and become more predictable in recent years with increased emphasis on tactics and absence of game changing players, making soccer less exciting to watch.
Footnote
When I was a schoolboy, my English teacher was convinced many fans followed sport they themselves had never participated in, other than to watch others play e.g. boxing. Football was the notable exception, since each member of the crowd could, with little provocation, join the players on the field and came dressed accordingly, just to prove the point.
On October 26th, 1863, at The Freemasons Arms, in Covent Garden, London, a group of former public-school men announced that they would call themselves the Football Association (a title which, abbreviated, gave the world the word. 'soccer'). They went on to establish 13 laws of the game. In 1885, the Football Association legalized payments to players, and three years later, the world’s first professional football league was founded. The first 12 teams were drawn from towns in the industrial northwest and midlands of England. Within a few years, enormous crowds were turning out to watch the games.
By the 1890s. so many Lancashire textile workers had migrated to the US that in Fall River, Massachusetts. The Fall River Rovers were founded in 1884 and inter-regional rivalry ensured games between Rovers and Bethlehem Steel Football Club routinely drew crowds in the thousands. The new football stadium filled with working class men (in the main), drinking, smoking and gambling. Toilet facilities were scarce and basic, hence men would regularly relieve themselves standing in the crowd. Seating was restricted to small sections in the ground and the majority of support stood on the terracing.
Prior to the 1970s, crowd capacity in the UK was rarely restricted and throngs of supporters crammed into the grounds at key matches. I recall being at a Rangers versus Hibernian match at Ibrox Stadium where over 100,000 people stood. Space on these occasions was restricted and supporters stood shoulder to shoulder. Small people and children were carried with the crowd, lifted off their feet and pulled into a rip curl sway. Many injuries were recorded.
On another occasion I was at Old Trafford at a Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur match and the wooden stand swayed as if made in rubber. The only other time I have ever experienced a similar movement was during an earthquake in Wellington , New Zealand.
In big football crowds, small kids crowded around the lower end of the terracing separated from adults and close to the field. Provided there was no push from the upper terracing the kids were comparatively safe however, this was rare. Eventually steel barriers had to be erected to help with crowd control. The sale of alcohol was banned in the stadium but fans frequently smuggled it into the stadium and openly consumed on the terracing. Disgruntled fans throw their empty cans and beer bottles towards the field of play. More often than not, these projectiles landed on the children standing in the lower terracing. Eventually consumption of alcohol was banned in the UK. British fans looked enviously on their Continental and South American counterparts who watched football in superb stadium with social facilities and seated Stands.
Most football grounds initially allowed supporters to move from end to end during the game. This meant you could watch from behind the opposition’s goal in both halves. Inevitably inter rivalry between fans meant fights ensued and eventually movement with in the grounds were stopped.
Increased crowd problems throughout the 70s and 80s including horrible disasters forced major changes to the design of football stadium in the UK.
The first time people outside Russia became aware of Russian hooligans was in 2002, when fans rioted in Moscow, burning cars and fighting police after the national team lost to Japan in the World Cup. Police have struggled to contain the growth of hooliganism. Names like the TsSKA firm, and the Red and Blue Warriors emulate the English bad boy supporters and are very well organised boasting of consultation with established groups and hooligan consultants.
Organised happy slapping became a major feature of the new order. To avoid authorities, gangs agreed before matches by phone to where they would meet and fight. Rumbles were regularly filmed for later analysis. Engagements usually take place without weaponry and firms were banned carrying weapons or from wearing bovver boots after reports of serious injuries.
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The soker kezhuali fashion advice from casual fashionista, suggests the conventional Aquascutum, and Fred Perry gear was replaced with
Stone Island, Lacoste and Dima and 21. Authentic gear is vital with real casuals avoiding fake brands as bling and chavs are considered uncool.
It seems to go with the turf, football and supporter violence. Since the beginning of the game where ever partisan supporters gather violence quickly follows. No surprise then to see unruly behaviour spill out into the streets and become the focus for anarchists and anti-social types. National fervor rules in the mob mentality and racist taunts relate to long standing hatred and distrust. England fans have gained a reputation for almost half a century. Brawling supporters caused mayhem at most European World Cups and Euro Championships.
With full anticipation of disruptive behaviour authorities across Europe have united to try to prevent mayhem in the streets of Russia. Clearly this has not been 100% successful according to reports and hooligans still slip through but, at least authorities believe the known ‘hard core’ are not directly involved.
UK authorities have in the past banned known offenders from attending the World Cup. These include known organizers and risk supporters with targeted troublemakers required to surrender their passports. These are however not life bans and by June 2018 many of the hardcore will have travel restrictions lifted. Sadly, the number increases each tournament as unruly behaviour continues to increase. Unlike the UK, most other countries have no legal powers to prevent potentially violent fans from traveling, instead they engage undercover officers (spotters) to mingle with the crowds.
During the World Cups inter-gang rivalry and disputes are temporarily forgotten as ruffians with mutual animosity to rival fans, form alliances. Whoever wins the tournament on the field is immaterial as rebel rousers battle for the honours in the Hooligan's World Cup. Crime, politics and unemployment are thought to underpin much of the social unrest fueled by bravado fed by alcohol and illicit drugs.
Ongoing rivalries between opposing fans poses a substantial risk of violence during FIFA World Cup TM 2018. Local security forces will monitor threat groups and deny entry to suspects. However, the risk of clashes between violent supporters remains present. Russian ultra-nationalists and football supporters may specifically target foreign supporters or tourists. This could lead to verbal abuse or physical altercation. However, sporting venues, fan zones and commercial and touristic areas will be highly secured. Local authorities have a strong interest such events do not occur in order not to tarnish the overall success of the event.
Okolofutbola, (around football) is the term used to describe hooligan elements in Russia. The Russian Ultras are one of the major firms but there are others, including groups of all-girl hooligans. Popularity for soccer casual-like behaviours in Russia appeared in the 1990s and was modelled on the English casuals including their clothes, terminology, and passion for blackout drinking. So, committed to the new wave casual consultants form English firms such as the Chelsea Head Hunters went to Russia to help set up their firms. Now a new wave of hooligan terrorises the streets. Disinterested in football, they are obsessed with physical fitness, elite martial arts training and sobriety. Trained in paramilitary fashion many appear for battle wearing skull-masks and mixed-martial-arts fighting gloves. Over the years authorities have systematically policed football violence at club level driving the hooligans underground. Now rival groups meet in remote woods and in fight club style, battle it out under the direction of a referee. This behaviour is akin to ‘stenka na stenku,’ an old peasant game where two villages would square off during festivals.
The Russian Authorities are determined to crack down and make the FIFA 2018 World Cup TM go smoothly. The Interior Ministry’s Department E, responsible for monitoring terrorist and organized crime groups, now also monitors hooligans, with many fans believing their communications are under surveillance. Even the woodland fights have become infrequent, given the increased risk of arrest recently. According to FIFA, Russia’s high security standards have been adapted to meet the specific needs of the World Cup. Strict security procedures are in place to control hooliganism.
The Adidas Telstar 2018 World Cup soccer ball is a revival of the original Telstar (1970 and 74) with new panel shapes. The Adidas Telstar 18 has just six panels, glued together in a seamless construction and feature a distinct 3-D textured upper for control and grip. The ball is black and white with logos, including Adidas', the FIFA World Cup 2018 logo and the Telstar name in gold Camouflaged versions of the Adidas Telstar 18 were tested at various FIFA youth tournaments, including the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Korea Republic. The new ball will be available in shops later this month.
Greenpeace Germany tested 33 items for hazardous chemicals and made to be sold inconjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. These included the official ball (adidas), boots, goalkeeper gloves sold by adidas, Nike, and Puma. Test results confirmed many of the products contained hazardous chemicals such as perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), nonylphenolethoxylates (NPEs), phthalates and dimethylformamide (DMF). All these substances have potential to cause harm to health. The investigation found 17 out of 21 football boots and half of the goalkeeper's gloves tested were found to contain ionic PFCs, such as the particularly dangerous PFOA. Adidas' "Predator" boot and Nike's "Tiempo" boot contained the highest levels of PFOA, the campaign group said, while a pair of adidas 'Predator' gloves were also said to contain levels of the substance in excess of the brand's own limits. The 'Brazuca' official World Cup ball was similarly found to contain NPEs, a substance that, when released into the environment, degrades to nonylphenol, a substance known to be toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. NPEs were also found in over two thirds of boots and half of the gloves, indicating the widespread use of the chemical. Phthalates and DMF was detected in all 21 pairs of boots tested. DMF is used as a solvent in boot manufacture and is classed as harmful to reproduction and can also be damaging when in contact with skin. Greenpeace's Detox campaign has successfully convinced 20 companies, including high profile names such as Primark, Zara, Victoria's Secret, and H&M to make commitments to ditch various hazardous chemicals from their supply chains by 2020, a pledge Nike and adidas have also taken.
When the World Cup™ in Brazil begins not only will the national team compete for global supremacy so too will the two major sport shoes companies i.e. Adidas and Nike. Currently Nike owns 14.6 percent of the global sporting goods market to Adidas’ 11.4 percent. In 2012 Adidas held 13.2 percent of the western European sporting goods market in 2012 to Nike’s 12.4 percent, according to Euromonitor data. In Nike’s first fiscal quarter of 2013, ended August31, it posted an 8 percent jump in sales in Europe. Over the same period, Adidas’ European sales fell 7 percent. Adidas has forecast record 2014 football sales of over 2 billion euros and aims to boost group sales to 17 billion euros ($23 billion) in 2015. U.S. Nike, meanwhile, only entered the football market in 1994. But already it has several major partnerships with clubs, including English champions Manchester United. Experts guesstimate Nike will have group sales of up to $30 billion by 2015. Despite Adidas being a major sponsor of the competition many believe big name endorsements are responsible for Nike’s broader success. The Brazilian National Team is firm favourites to win the cup and are sponsored by Nike.
Goal-line technology (GLT) is set to feature at the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time as a support for match officials, after FIFA confirmed last year the appointment of GoalControl GmbH as the official GLT provider for the tournament. GoalControl is the specialist for real-time image analysis in sport events. The company have developed camera-based vision systems that can detect, identify and track moving objects in complex sceneries. GoalControl is equipped with 14 high-speed cameras located around the pitch, with seven cameras focusing on each goalmouth. The ball’s position is continuously and automatically captured in 3D and the indication of whether a goal has been scored is immediately confirmed within one second to a watch worn by each of the match officials. The intention is to instal FIFA approved, GoalControl systems in each of the 12 stadiums used in the competitions. Labosport Ltd. have recently tested the GoalControl at the iconic Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.
The adidas brazuca is the the successor to the adidas jabulani used at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa™, The Adidas Brazuca is the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ . The Brazuca * is the first FIFA World Cup ball named by fans and is made u from a contraction of Brazilian and Bazuca, Portuguese for "bazooka" ) is an informal local term which means Brazilian or describes the Brazilian way of life. The colours and ribbon design of the ball panels symbolise the traditional multi-coloured wish bracelets (fita do Senhor do Bonfirm da Bahia) worn in the country. It took two-and-half-years to develop the new ball. The match ball is made of six identical polyurethane panels making it the roundest football ever manufactured. The panels are bonded to keep the ball the same weight and shape in even the thickest of rain. The bladder of the Brazuca ball is made of latex and provides the desired rebound with pefect aerodynamic flight. The technology incorporated into the bladder and carcass of Brazuca is the same as that used in the Tango 12 (the Euro 2012 match ball), Cafisa (2013 Confederations Cup) and the Champions League match ball. The outer layer is textured (dimpled) to give uncreased surface contact similar to a basketball and sutible for goal keepers to catch and hold. The clourway is bold white and night blue. According to manufacturer the Brazuca has been tested to meet and exceed all Fifa metrics for an official match ball. The Brazua has already been tested in competitive international matches, at the Under-20s World Cup, and in the friendly between Sweden and Argentina last February.
*Brazuca is also a pejorative name used to mean "third class" citizen from Brazil. Widely used in prejudice contexts in Portugal, Spain, several countries of South America to refer to Brazilian immigrants in a pejorative way.
Nike and Adidas have new soccer boots which are knitted. Set to unveil their new boots the footwear giants are hoping to revolutionise the world of football footwear before the World Cup this summer.Nike have been using Flyknit technology in running shoes for two years but the new Magista (lightweight) boot which incorporated the same will be released soon . The new books have been endorsed by Andres Iniesta ( FC Barcelonaand Spain). The Magista will be released officially at the Champions League Final in Lisbon as a prelude to the World Cup in Brazil.
For the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, adidas have given the Copa Mundial's a colourful face lift. The original Copa Mundials were released in 1982 and have gone on to sell more than 10 million pairs worldwide. They have remained favourites with park footballers and pros alike, being worn by some of football's greatest names including Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini, Zico and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Designed specifically for firm ground pitches, the new boots boasts kangaroo leather upper and heel sections, which provide excellent control and touch, alongside superior comfort. The new coloured Copa Mundials retail for £145 and are available at adidas performance stores nationwide or at www.adidas.com. The classic black and white design is still available for those who prefer to keep their footwear low-key.
Founder Adi Dassler was actively involved in the initial development of the "Copa Mundial" but sadly died before they became best sellers. The new version of Copa Mundial soccer shoe has kangaroo leather uppers, reinforced heel panel and twelve-stud outsole design.
Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney is out for several weeks after suffering a horrific gash to his forehead in a clash in training with Manchester United team mate Phil Jones. The gash was caused by an accidental kick with blades. Since they were introduced over ten years ago many luminaries in the game including Sir Alex Ferguson and former Liverpool FC hero and inventer of the Adidas Predator boot, Craig Johnston have warned of the potential dangers of blade footwear. The call for softer studs and less viscious blades is growing and Johnston has warned it is only a matter of time before a big-name footballer sues a boot company.
In collaboration with Hublot (official timekeeper of the 2014 FIFA World Cup) and (Radamel ) Falcao (AS Monaco and Columbia), < a href="http://www.puma.com/">Puma have issued a limited edition of their evoSPEED boot. The promotion is part of a countdown to 2014 FIFA World Cup. Falcao signed a personal endorsement agreement with Hublot and PUMA have collaborated with them to develop the bespoke boot to accompany a limited edition Falcao signature time piece. Only 100 pieces are available; 60 titanium and 40 King Gold priced at US$17,000 and US$40,000. PUMA created an evoSPEED 1.2 colourway for each watch, numbered 1-60 and 1-40, and the concept was first presented at the Basel Watch fair. The lateral side of the boot bears no secondary branding, and have been left blank so each will be personally signed by Falcao. The boots will only be available with each watch sold, and come together in a unique casing. For every Hublot Falcao sold, a portion of the revenue will go towards improving the “terrible living conditions” in the Grand Lagoon of Santa Marta, Falcao’s Caribbean birth town”
Professional footballers rarely if ever need to pay for a pair of football boots. The vast majority are signed to a lucrative boot contract and get supplied supplied evermore with enough boots to give them away. One downside to this arrangement is sometimes companies come up with competition boots that might on second thoughts not be the most appealing to the wearer and their fans.
Lionel Messi ( FC Barcelona and Argentina) is set to release his own range of football boots . The player helped with the design and testing process for his custom-made studs. The Adidas F50 boots will be available later this year. The boots sport the Messi logo and feature a single red stud surrounded by 10 white ones. At 165g, they are one of the lightest soccer slippers
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden) has given his turquoise boots to charity. Zlatan scored an amazing goal against England which has made his boot hot property. He agreed to give his boots to team-mate Jonas Olsson for a novel idea of raising funds for the Winnicott Foundation, a charity for premature and critically ill newborn babies. Olsson is allowing people to donate a five pounds Sterling to the charity in order to be in with a chance to win the boots. Once the figure reaches ₤10,000 he will pick a winner at random. The generous defender has also pledged to donate ₤5,000 once it reaches that figure.
Martin O'Neill (manager of Sunderland ) spoke recently about his dislike of modern soccer slippers and the potential dangers they may bring to professional players. O'Neill's comments are a direct result of the influx of colourful and lightweight football boots and his opinion is shared by Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United). The latter refuses to allow academy graduates to wear anything other than black boots with studs and no blades. Under new rules Manchester United's junior players have been banned from wearing anything other than old-school black while on club business. Once in the reserve or first-team squad there are no restrictions but the old heads do caution against wearing highly coloured boots for moderately talented players. The eyecatching hues may attract more skilful attention.
Nike have released the Nike Clash Collection football boots consisting of four of the best soccer shoes available from their range. Each boot sports a white toe with contrasting bright tone around the ankle, and each color representing the shoe’s strengths. The Mercurial Vapor VIII sports red for speed, CTR360 Maestri II features blue for the “assured midfielder,” T90 Laser IV is in electric green for the “deadly striker,” and the Tiempo Legend IV opts for black to reiterate the shoe’s classic style. All four models in the Clash Collection are now available, ranging in price from $150 to $220.
Perhaps it is the imminent London Olympics which has inspired shoe companies to release their new season football boots. Adidas unvailed their new generation of adidas Predator recently. The adidas Predator Lethal Zone ‘Pass’ was seen at the UCL semi-final match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich . Boots have memory foam on the medial side of the to help with consistency in passing. The 3-D sticky print also provides a large surface area to increase ball contact.
According to the manufacturer the Geometra Pro is useful on a firm pitch and best suited to midfield players. St George Geometra Pro , features a special circular cleat configuration to increase grip and acceleration. The Umbro St. George Speciali 3 Pro is an evergreen with Umbro’s signature A-frame to keep feet safe and comfortable and the lightweight HG sole plate for perfect balance between flexibility and protection. The Umbro GT 2 is crafted from a lightweight micro-fibre, offering great touch and feel to the wearer. These are Umbro’s lightest boots and feature an anatomically-contured outsole and internal Poron sock-liner. The St George Collection will be on sale from 4th May.
Reebok (subsiduary of adidias) have launched their new football boots with concealed laces. Apparently the concealed laces improves the size of the sweet spot as well as reducing the number of injuries caused to other players in the contact sport.
Lotto’s Fuerzapura range offers water-repellent kanagaroo leather uppers. The boot features Twist'ngo and ReactiveArch technology with conical fixed polyurethane studs soles which ensure stability and traction. For added comfort the boot have a removable insock.
The adizero f50 has been dubbed the intelligent football boot and is powered by adidas miCoach . According to adidas the electronic soccer shoe tracks and uploads performance data to help improve the players performance. The boots have a cavity in the outsole unit which houses the miCoach SPEED_CELL™, which in turn captures 360° movement and measures key performance metrics including speed, average speed (recorded every second), maximum speed (recorded every five seconds), number of sprints, distance, distance at high intensity levels, steps and stride rates. On-board memory stores all the measurements during your game or training for up to seven hours and then wirelessly transmits the on pitch performance data to a tablet, PC or MAC. Other adidas technologies built in to the new shoe include the Sprintweb, which provides stability during high speed movements, Sprintskin, a synthetic lightweight layer to reduce the weight of the shie and Sprintframe, which uses geometrics and a new stud construction to balance between lightweight and stability.
The adizero f50 boots come with a Speed Cell™ and a smart device dongle miCoach CONNECT for iPod and iPhone as well as the miCoach CONNECT for PC / MAC. The boots weighs 165g and costs €245 ($330) and will be available at adidas retail outlets and specialist stores worldwide from November.
Recently an old pair ofBobby Robson’s football boots failed to sell when they went under the hammer. The unworn pair of size two boots, believed to have been owned by the England, Barcelona and Newcastle United manager when he was a schoolcboy, did not reach the reserve price of £300 during the auction at Thomas Watson’s in Darlington. The boots were put up for sale by Sir Bobby’s childhood friend, Thomas Robson.
Football boots are becoming more of a fashion statement these days as marquee players make them a focal point for TV cameras. Designs and colourways which might previous have not been out of place on the dance floor are finding their way to the green blaze and all in the name of selling product. The minute you see visible high end footwear on sports persons the more likely the industry has nothing else to offer. Traditionally dark coloured boots were associated with soccer but Hummel changed all that in the 70s with the introduction of white boots for Alan Ball * (England and Arsenal). Took a brave player to wear anything other than black for fear of being picked on by rival fans. “Who's the poofter in the boots?” would ring out from the crowd and low be tide anyone who dared wear coloured boots and have a poor game. Two decades later and high colour became a bi-word for companies like Adidas and Puma who seemed to realise soccer moms like their offspring in visibly fashionable boots. What is good for the amateur must be good for business and endorsed players became fashion doyons. Televised events such as the FIFA World Cups with its millions of viewers have made the football pitch the macho catwalk where the models i.e. players, demonstrate the new look and functionality of the footwear range from the companies that pay them thousands of dollars just to be “seen.” Always good then to see the antics of rival companies outdoing the official sponsor as with the red heels of Nike at the recent World Cup. Being top does not always mean being the best and when the great David Backham wore golden boots for his 100th cap for England (against France), his team lost 1-0 and David did not excel in the game. Now it is the turn of Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) to wow the faithful with shoe and deed as he sports his new safari-themed black-and-white-spotted CR Mercurial Vapor SuperFly II Nikes. I wonder if he may have an Alan Ball moment ?
*After Ball heard a rumour Hummel, were prepared to pay £2,000 to a professional willing to their white boots he took them up on their offer. The boots were uncomfortable and Ball substituted his own adidas boots after painting them white. All went well until the white washed away in the rain during the game and Hummel withdrew their £2,000.
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