Summary of 2010:
Taking a look back at 2010 we saw the birth of the light weight boot race between adidas, Nike, and surprisingly Puma. In the soccer market this year we have seen the major companies change the price, color, and weight of their football boots in order to sell boots and separate themselves from the competition.
Most disappointing boot of 2010: Adidas predator x.
The predator has always been adidas go to boot. But this year the boot lacked technology, flair, and the hype that we footy fans come to associate with the release of the next predator. Rather then create a power boot or a boot that can change your game the predator x lacked that mind blowing technology to change your shot. I have always thought of the boot as a power boot but in 2010 I feel like the adidas development team focused on decreasing the weight rather then making/keeping it the game changer it has always been. In my opinion, adidas took a step backwards with this boot and it showed on the pitch with the low numbers of players wearing the boot and the low sales/reviews that it received in the soccer specialty community.
Ideas of 2010: World cup 2010- Nike introduces the Nike Elite Series.
With adidas holding on to the sponsorship of the world cup Nike had to do something special to make a splash at the tournament and be remembered. Nike did just that and they did it with ambush marketing on the field by creating a vibrant new line of boots called the WC Elite Series. With the elite series Nike was able to redesign a series of boots that were 15% lighter then it's predecessors by changing the upper and outsole of Vapor, Super Fly, Total 90, Ctr 360, and the Tiempo. Not only were the boots lighter but visually the boots were so different then any other boot on the pitch which made them stand out on the tele and from the stands. In the end, with the distinctive high vise upper you could clearly tell the Nike athletes from the other brands, which was genius by Nike. Why was it genius? Nike was able to make an elite series brand of boots that were visually pleasing and the exact boots the athletes on the pitch were wearing. In addition, it seemed like every elite Nike endorsed player sported the boots, and after looking back all I can remember are those orange boots racing around the pitch. They were every where!
Furthermore, Nikes write the future; unless if you lived in a cave this summer there is no way you could of missed the infamous commercials that Nike put together to showcase their athletes, boots, and creativity. The commercial was amazing and selected scenes showed Rooney homeless, CR7 nutmegging Homer Simpson, and Ronaldinho who was a no show do his patented snake move; in all the commercial captured what could be and pulled the motif that if you were a footballer it was your job to write the future on the pitch and make the play that would change the outcome of the game. In the end, the commercial was brilliant and made myself along with billions of others to remember Nike Football, and to always WRITE THE FUTURE.
Technology of 2010: Nike introduces Kangaroo Lite and Concave Sports introduces the Concave component/ sweet spot boots.
In terms of technology in the boot market I believe 2010 saw little or no improvement in this category. We saw many different colors and light weight boots but no technology that could improve a players performance besides that from Concave.
The predator was a flop, Nike had the color obsession, and Puma went the lightest but lacked exposure and credibility. Nike, however introduced the football market to it's new kanga lite technology; an upper that combined kangaroo leather and synthetic to decrease the overall weight of the boot especially in wet conditions. Kanga lite upper offers the soft touch of a k leather boot but does not hold water due to it's unique makeup of synthetic/k leather upper. This is an amazing technology especially when you play in a wet environment like England where the pitches are covered in water and it rains for days.
The second technology that was interesting/new was the introduction of the new Concave boots into the football market. The boot is designed to increase the power and accuracy of your shots which is done by a patented design called the Concave Component that uniquely cups the ball and increases the velocity/accuracy of your shots. Before, testing these boots I thought it was just another market gimmick, but after testing these boots I soon understood and realized that it was not just another gimmick but a new technology that really improved my shots and long range passes.
Best Boot of 2010: adidas aidZERO F50
By far the F50 is the 2010 boot of the year on Footy Guru. Unlike adidas boots of the past adidas adapted to the synthetic demands of the market and produced one of the lightest boots on the market. Furthermore, not only was the boot lighter then it's competitors but it was priced right which I think is what swayed mercurial followers to switch to the F50 due to the Vapors high price and inability to innovate and improve the boot. Another aspect that I think adidas did right with the boot were the color ways of the boot were no longer safe they were extreme and just what the younger demographic wanted. In the end, the number of pro footy players who switched to the boot this season, the numbers of the poll speak for themselves on this blog, and after coaching youth soccer this fall and seeing the popularity of the boots on the pitch; there is no doubt that the adiZERO is the boot of the year for 2010. Congrats adidas!
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