Soccer Shoes: The New and Improved Version

The soccer boot (the traditional name for soccer shoe), which services primary medium for linking a player to the turf and the ball is the most single important equipment in this sport.

Although the basic design of the soccer boot has changed little over the past 70 years, the newer versions contain numerous interventions, some more visible than others that allows a player to push beyond the normal boundaries of performance. At its core soccer boot technology aims to improve a players game in three major categories; movement, ball interaction, and comfort/protection.

As the players primary point of interaction with the playing surface, the soccer boot must provide excellent traction.

This traction allows for greater acceleration and directional control.

The intervention that allows for this traction is the cleats or studs that run on the bottom of the shoe, and improvement resulting from demands of weather and field conditions. Modern shoes commonly feature durable, tight plastics, or metal such as steel or magnesium, which have the benefit of low weight. Plastic cleats have the advantage of being directly molded from the same piece of material as the sole of the shoe, which reduces manufacturing cost. Commonly, studs incorporate circular design with a wider diameter near the sole and a slightly smaller diameter closer to the point of contact with the ground. Alternatively, some companies have adapted more radical stud designs such as angular, teeth like cleats called blades, designed to provide more aggressive grip in predetermined position.

Cleat placement also contributes significantly to the functionality of a soccer boot. The standard arrangement of four studs in the forefoot and two studs in the heel allows for even weight distribution and has been the style of placement most common since the advent of studs.

Recently, however, numerous shoe companies have discovered other arrangements suited to better performance. Circular patterns optimize omni directional acceleration while laterally arranged studs provide an advantage in directional changes to the left or right.

This means in addition to improving traction, cleat arrangement can also affect a player's agility.

The soccer boot also serves as the primary point of contact with the ball. Therefore, the boot requires sensitivity so that the player can often execute moves with ball contact that are referred to as the "touch." The better the touch, the better a player can control the ball.

The material used to manufacturer the upper portion of the boot often contributes the most to the overall touch since the upper portion provides the lower barrier between the foot and the ball.

Kangaroo leather because of its thin glove like properly enhances the feel of the ball against the foot and significantly improves touch.

This is day, many high end soccer shoes still incorporate kangaroo leather in the construction of the upper since it remains the best nature material available.

In recent years, synthetic materials such as Proprietary Nike Skin, have also been developed in an effort to emulate the properties of leather with improved weather resistance and durability.

This synthetic material often helps reduce overall weight of the boot which is an advantage.

A few shoes even combine kangaroo leather with the synthetic material construction of the front of the shoe with kangaroo leather to provide good touch with the rest of the shoe and with synthetic materials to improve durability to reduce weight.

Soccer boots must provide good surface with which to strike a ball. For passing and shooting players require a clean surface to generate power and provide consistent accuracy.

Whether the newer interventions in soccer shoe construction allow better surface for ball strike is the shifting of the laces closer to the outside edge of the boot. This intervention is referred to as asymmetrical lacing. By shifting the lacing system to the outside of the boot the front and inside of the foot offer more smooth surface for the ball strike. Without the bump of the lacing to interfere with the ball constantly, the player achieves cleaner and more consistent contact with the ball.

Recently Adidas Predator soccer shoe introduced two new performance enhancement techniques to their shoe. The new shoe incorporates two important features that specifically aide in helping to achieve more powerful and accurate strikes.

First, a rubber-like compound has been directly injected into the surface of the forefoot. In addition to help improve ball control; the friction qualities of the compound also help players apply spin to the ball as they kick.

The increased spin on the ball allows the player to curve the ball trajectory to avoid other players or to make the shot more difficult for the goal keeper to defend.

The second most revolutionary feature introduced in the latest predator actually involves focusing more mass near the front of the shoe. Moving the center of mass closer to the point of impact helps optimize power transfer during contact with the ball. This improvement has shown to allow the player to increase average ball speed on the kick which translates into less time for the goalie to react to the shot.

New soccer boot designs are concentrating now on safety and comfort as well. As the game is moved away from the heavy thick boot and physicality towards more skills and speed, boot construction required is really moving away from protection and more towards comfort and stream line function.

Two important features, the sole and the surrounding structure, contribute a great deal to the overall comfort and safety of the modern soccer boot.

As the interface between the foot and the ground, the soles function is to protect the foot and maintain players comfort by absorbing shock of repeated impact with the playing surface.

The serve this purpose, manufacturers insert cushion into the side of the shoe. This cushioning resembles the typical shock absorbing; manmade material used in running and athletic shoes but is designed on a small scale to be more weight efficient.

Just like a good ballet shoe supports the dancer, the structure of the soccer boot supports the player. The close, glove like soccer boot helps provide protection at critical locations. The heel counter at the rear of the boot helps cradle the heel and lock the foot in place.

As opposed to running shoes which have padded heel counters on the inside, the soccer boot has an external heel cap which provides more rigid support with increased fitness and impact protection for the heel. The asymmetric lacing system also removed pressure from lacing system from the laces on the top of the middle of the foot which is more sensitive than the side of the foot which is less sensitive.

The Nike Air Zoom total 90 III soccer boot has been designed to provide the ultimate in comfort to the soccer player. To being the outside of the shoe features the asymmetrical lacing system and an external heel counter, elements common in the modern soccer boots. The total 90 has a sole that incorporates new types of cushioning derived from running shoe technology.

The mid section of the sole features a compressed foam material specifically designed for shock absorption and distribution of pressure and the heel of the sole features a zoom air cushioned that provides light weight supplementary cushioning. The shoe also features support bars that run from the front to the back of the shoe. This structural strengthening helps provide great rigidity as well as stability during flexing.

In conclusion while deceptively simple, soccer boots actually showcase a huge amount of effort in research and development. Moderate soccer boot provides players with advantages and movement, ball control and shooting, while also allowing maximum comfort and safety.

I would like to thank the author of this article Adrian Lim from the University of California, a Biomechanical Engineering student for providing this article which I have edited for my personal use.