Soccer boots or football boots are footwear worn for playing soccer. They are an important aspect to a player’s game and can change their game dramatically. Current soccer boots use many different kinds of technologies, and for the modern world they are a revolutionary item. Two of the leading soccer boot manufacturers, Adidas and Nike, have made the biggest impacts on providing boots to big name players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Ronaldinho and many others. Soccer boots can be made from different materials including leather, synthetic material and plastic, but higher quality boots are made from leather, preferably kangaroo leather.
Law 4, in Laws of the Game touches on player’s equipment, especially football boots. Until 1891, any projection on the soles of the boot was prohibited (studs). The rules were revised and studs and bars were allowed as long as they were made of leather. Studs had to be rounded and must at least be ½ inch in diameter; they weren’t not allowed to be conical or pointed. Leather studs used to be hammered into the boot, acting as a semi-permanent stud. Players at that time usually had more than one pair of boots with studs in different lengths to accommodate playing in different weather and pitch surfaces. In the 1950’s, Adidas launched boots with interchangeable screw-in studs made of rubber and plastic, usually to accommodate playing different weathers. From then on, boots have been modernised through out history and created what is known today as modern footwear with the use of technology.
Now boots have different studs for different kinds of weather. They now have metal studs, preferably to be used in wet and muddy pitches and it gives the players more grip. They have plastic and rubber studs, to accommodate playing in firm grounds and they have astro-turf boots with lots of tiny studs to accommodate playing on astro pitches.
From the early age non-stud boots, to modern light-weight boots, football boots has been and is being an important feature of a player’s game. Not only does it improve style with the many different colors being produced, it adds touch, power, speed and comfort to a player’s game. Top manufacturers usually produce 3 main types of boots which are worn by professionals. These 3 types go into 3 different categories which are Power/Accuracy, Speed and Touch/Heritage. These are true to leading manufacturers Adidas and Nike. For power or accuracy, Adidas produced the Adidas Predators which have been in the footballing world for 13 years. They are produced for deadly power and accuracy and are usually worn by players with great power and accuracy such as Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and many others. In Nike’s case, they have the Total 90 boots which are equipped with the power system technology which improves a player’s power of kicking the ball. These boots are worn by striker Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres. For speed, Adidas produces the F50 boots which are very light. In Nike’s case, they produce the Mercurial Vapors which are known as the lightest boots up to date. They are made using carbon material which is the lightest yet strongest material. For touch/heritage, Adidas produces the Adipures and Nike produces the Nike Legend. They are both made using kangaroo leather which are known as the lightest, strongest and comfortable leather. They are known mainly for their comfort and natural ball feel which is because they are made with full kangaroo leather.
Probably the most intriguing development/technology in football boots today is in Adidas’s Predator boots. They come in 3 types which are Power, Swerve and Control. Each of these boots contains the element tungsten in the underside of the boots which moves when the ball is kicked which gives more power and a swerve system. In the Predator Power, and extra 10g of tungsten is added so the power generated can be even stronger. In the Predator Swerve, liquid vamps have been added to the swerve system which gives more swerves to the kick. In the Predator Control, the boots are created with full kangaroo leather for extra comfort. Another new technology is in Nike’s Mercurial Vapor boots. Weighing a mere 210g, the Nike Mercurial Vapor SL (super light) is one of the lightest football boots ever produced. The composite Carbon-Fiber Chassis is engineered for incredible flexibility without compromising strength.
The development of soccer boots can be clearly seen by the technologies which have been inputted into the boots today. They have grown in popularity and are being chosen as the main boots for professionals in the top leagues around the world. In the coming future, new technology will be added to improve a player’s game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_boots
http://www.prodirectsoccer.com/bootroom.asp
http://www.footy-boots.com/