The Evolution of Football: Picking the right shoe, is it that important?
One of the most important assets a football player requires in order to play the game the right way, other than his skill, is the ‘right shoes’. Now one may think that shoes hardly play an important role on how a player performs out on the field, but that is a very wrong assessment. For if they were useless and did not hold the level of importance they do, then why would multi-national companies such as Nike and Adidas spend millions of dollars developing different types of shoes for various types of players, specifically developed for their feet or their playing styles and specializations on the field.
Other then the flexibility of the shoes and the grip they offers, another very important aspect was recognized by Adidas, and this was ‘weight reduction’. This was utilized by introducing the first ever s***w in studs, and the first shoes to have this technology were given to the German national team to wear during the 1990 World Cup, which they ended up winning. Most of the players went as far as to say that their opponents couldn’t match their movement on the pitch due to the fact that they could move more freely and easily as compared to them.
Next let’s have a look at the current market and the main competitors out there .i.e. Nike and Adidas, followed closely by Puma. The ranges of shoes that Nike have made available include The Tiempos, The Vapors, The Ctr 360’s and The Lasers. Whereas Adidas also lets you choose from a range of excellent shoes including The Predator, The Adipure and the F50 Series, which are now more commonly referred to as The Adizeros. On the other hand though, if a player chooses to vote against Adidas or Nike and goes for the lower scale Puma’s instead, then he/ she can choose from the Puma V Series, The Power Cats or The Kings.
These shoes could additionally be classified into the categories of, specifically for speed, for power or for control. The Vapors, The Adizeros and The Puma V Series were all built for speed, where as The Laser, The Predator and The Power-Cats were developed for power, and The Tiempos, Ctr 360’s, The Adipures and The Kings come under the control category. So a goal keeper would use either The Laser’s or The Predators for the excellent control they allow. A centre back would require good ball control and the ability to kick the ball far off, so the best shoes for centre backs would be The Predators, The Lasers or The Ctr 360’s. Side backs need to be relatively quicker than centre backs so the more appropriate choice of shoes for them would be The Adipure’s, The Adizero’s, The Power-Cats or The Puma V Series. The Vapors aren’t suitable enough for defensive players due to the fact that the shoe is constructed in a manner that does not allow them to withstand the forces of constant tackling.
Midfield’s however, due to the fact that they have varying categories within their segment, have a wide array of shoes they could choose from. Holding midfielder’s who move around would be best matched with The Predator, while holding midfielder’s who tackle instead, would prefer The Laser. Central midfielders are best connected with The Adipure if they are skillful on the field while those who pass more often would perform at their best with the Ctr 360 or The Predator. For attack minded midfielders who like to do a little bit of everything The Adipure is the top choice.
Next when considering the Wings, it becomes evident that there are just two options; Nike with their Vapors and Adidas with their Adizeros. These Shoes allow room for dribbling, crossing or controlling the ball at a pace, but minor differences must be taken in to consideration as it’s the small details that could make the difference. The Vapors and generally better for crossing as compared to The Adizeros which are better for controlling the ball at fast paces and are about an ounce lighter then the super-fly which is the lightest Vapor available in the market at the moment.
Last but not least are the Strikers who also have a long list of options to choose from. A lazy striker who likes to have the ball fed to him and finish with precision should go for The Predator or The Laser, whole Strikers who like to sprint back and forth, do some fancy dribbles then The Vapors, The Adizeros or The Puma V Series would be most suitable, But a no nonsense Striker who likes to control the ball, make space and then shoot should definitely go for The Predator or The Ctr 360. Another important consideration for a player to make is the element of his/ her weight. This aspect has a huge influence on the shoes one must opt for. Bulkier players would be best matched with The Laser’s while light weight players should go for The Adizeros.
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