Adidas could be set to lose their sponsorship deal with the German national side to arch rivals Nike.

Adidas have been the proud sponsor of the German national team, since the Adidas founder Adi Dassler first deployed screw-studs to the German side in the 1954 World Cup (Adidas, the first screw in football boots). They are set to lose their ties with the German team now due to an offer by Nike which is reported to be five times the Adidas offer.

Nike’s offer is worth almost 67 million dollars each year over eight years from 2011 onwards, which is five times higher than the 10 to 11 million Euro’s the German football association currently receives from Adidas.

The Adidas chief executive Herbert Hainer criticised the Nike offer. He told a German daily it was “madness” for Nike to offer so much to a football federation.

“If we were to do that everybody would say they’re crazy at Adidas,” Hainer said.

However Hainer was still hopeful, “It is the wish from both sides that the cooperation continues, there is more than just financial considerations to the company’s partnership with the German Football Association. A partnership of this nature has a lot more components, including joint marketing activities,” he said.

The German Football Association has said it would look at the Nike offer before holding talks again with Adidas.

David Beckham values himself at £100 million.

David Beckham, ex England captain and Real Madrid midfielder has taken out insurance for himself. The insurance policy covers Beckham in the event of injury, disfigurement or serious illness, provided he steers clear of high risk activities like surfing or rock climbing.

The 31 year old, despite struggling to keep a regular pace in the Real Madrid team is still highly valued by advertisers.

He has a £3million a year football boot deal with Adidas, a three-year £7.5million deal with mobile phone firm Motorola, a contract with Pepsi worth an estimated £2million a year and a deal with Gillette.

David Beckham’s advertising revenue outweighs his club salary, said to be £4million a year after tax.

David Beckham Football Boots

David Beckham wears his own signature football boot, the Adidas Predator Absolute Swerve

The England and Manchester City defender Micah Richards has sparked a row between Adidas and Nike.

Micah Richards the recent addition to Steve McClaren’s England team, has been at the centre of a tug of war over his football boot sponsorship, between Adidas and Nike.

Following problems over an extension to his agreement with his sponsor Adidas, Richards’ agents, Sports Entertainment and Media, opened conversations with Nike, suggesting Richards would move camp.

Richards went on to wear Nike’s football boots when Manchester City played Liverpool, leading Nike to expect Richards to sign with them.

However Adidas, not wanting to let go of an up and coming International star, improved their offer and captured Richards’ signature.

Nike, no doubt, felt as if they had been used to assist Richards to secure a better deal with Adidas, although Richards claimed the reason was due to him feeling comfortable with the Adidas football boots.

The KELME Tiburon, a football boot made from Shark leather!

A few years ago, you’d buy a pair of football boots and they would either be made of cowhide leather or a cheap synthetic material.

Recently kangaroo leather and high end synthetic materials have become more popular.

Then KELME released “The Shark!”

KELME are a Spanish company, that was formed by two brothers back in the 1960’s. This year they launched a unique football boot made from sharkskin, KELME Triburon commonly known as The KELME Shark.

So why Shark?

Shark leather is said to be between 7 and 11 times stronger that a conventional leather.

Sharkskin when looked at close up, is like house tiles, with lots of overlapping pieces making up one strong surface. This is similar to the way fibreglass and concrete is made.

These ’tiles’ make the leather feel a little like sandpaper, which helps the ball grip to the football boot and aids your swerve on the ball.

As you would expect from sharkskin, the football boots are extremely water repellent, yet also flexible and light.

And the rest of the football boot?

The KELME Shark football boot has a TRX4 sole unit. This features a ‘gill’ ventilation system and heel to toe cushioning system for improved comfort and shock reduction.

The outsole features also features TRX4 technology, with biomechanically engineered stud placement for optimising surface contact and traction.

Options: Currently only available in black, although July next year will see a new range, likely to include grey and a red or burgundy football boot.

Soft and hard ground versions of the KELME Shark are available.

Price: From £108

Images: View the KELME Shark images.

Nomis football boots have up to 16 times more grip than any other football boot!

Australian football boot manufacturer Nomis, have launched a video demonstrating their superior grip technology for football boots.

Nomis football boots are worn by Harry Kewell. Kewell decided to drop his lucrative Adidas football boot deal (Kewell drops Adidas), to wear Nomis football boots for free!

So why would Harry do that?

Well, Nomis have launched a video that shows their football boots grip on a football. The video shows a comparison against another football boot and the performance, although only demonstrated in a basic test, is remarkable. The Nomis football boot really looks to have a great grip on the ball. The leather is tested dry and wet and once wet the football boots really perform.

Watch the

Nomis video

Moritz Volz, the German footballer, currently plays for Fulham. He has recently had his football boots inscribed with “Hoff 2″.

Signed by Arsenal from FC Schalke 04 in 1999, Volz only made a few appearances before being loaned out to Wimbledon and then Fulham. Fulham then made a permanent offer to him and Arsenal, who accepted their offer.

Volz recently said “Something I have got coming to me, legally, is a pair of Nike football boots with ‘Hoff’ and ‘2′ - my squad number - embroidered on them, so I’ll have the Hoff with me in the Premiership this season. A quick glance at that during a game could make all the difference. If the Hoff is on my football boots, he’ll always be with me”.
Hoff is David Hasselhoff, the former Baywatch star who is a singing sensation in Germany. Volz idolises the Hoff, who is more regularly the butt of jokes in the UK.

Moritz Volz Football Boots

Moritz Volz wears Nike Total 90 Supremacy football boots.

Footy-Boots.com has been selected to feature on the Carnival of Sports.

Our article posted in November titled ” Football Boot History ” was chosen for it’s information regarding the history of the screw in stud.

David Beckham didn’t figure in Alex Ferguson’s Top 5 Manchester United players of the last 20 years.

Beckham, left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003, he was overlooked in favour of Peter Schmeichel, Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney.

Alex Ferguson said: “In my time, I’ve been blessed with several world-class players. Schmeichel was certainly one and Giggs, for me, definitely. Cantona could have been even better but for the parts of him that you had to control.”

“Rooney - that’s four, and I think Ronaldo is going to be as well. He is playing in the hardest position in football, out wide, and he never refuses to take the ball and attack players. He is two-footed, he’s brave and once his decision making improves, he will be world-class without question. Then there is Keane, and that’s five.”

Paul Scholes, who is having an Indian summer at United, was close to making the list.

Ferguson, “There is an argument for Paul Scholes because he is the cleverest midfield player that we’ve ever had.”

David Beckham

The former England captain David Beckham, was a major influence for United. Beckham won nine league and cup trophies, including the 1999 Champions League, in his 12 year spell at Old Trafford.

But Beckham and Ferguson fell out…

Ferguson, after a defeat, kicked a football boot in the changing room and it hit Beckham above the eye, opening a deep cut. He then sold him to Real Madrid in 2003.

David Beckham wears Adidas Predator Absolute Swerve football boots.

African strikers are scoring for fun in the Premiership.

Pele once said, “An African team will win the World Cup by the year 2000″.

He may have been a little ambitious with his prediction, but by looking at the quality of the African’s in the Premiership, surely it won’t be long before an African team lifts the World Cup trophy. With Africa hosting the 2010 World Cup, it’s a great opportunity for them to succeed.

Africans Firing the Goals

Looking at the top of Premiership top scorers league, in joint 1st position you see Didier Drogba and Nwankwo Kanu. Drogba is from the Ivory Coast and Kanu from Nigeria.

Two other young African strikers have found form recently, Newcastle’s Obafemi Martins from Nigeria and Arsenal’s young
Emmanuel Adebayor.

Didier Drogba

With 15 goals in all competitions, Drogba is a striker on form at the moment.

When Shevchenko arrived from Milan, many thought it signalled the end for Drogba at Chelsea. The truth is, Chelsea now rely on Drogba as their main man, with Shevchenko playing second fiddle.

Didier Drogba Football Boots: Nike Mercurial Vapor III

Nwankwo Kanu

9 Premiership goals for the 6′5″ Nigerian! Kanu share’s the Premiership’s top scorer ranking with Drogba.

Who’d have thought that the ex Arsenal and Ajax striker would be hitting so many goals after Portsmouth picked him up in the summer?

Nwankwo Kanu Football Boots: Adidas Predator Pulse

Obafemi Martins

He hit a brace at the weekend, to take his tally to 6 in all competitions for Newcastle.

After a slow start, the Nigerian is showing his mettle following Shearer’s retirement and the injury to Michael Owen. The Geordie fans can be a fickle bunch, but it looks like Martins is winning them over now.

Obafemi Martins Football Boots: Nike Mercurial Vapor III

Emmanuel Adebayor

Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor is starting to show why Wenger signed the 22 year old from AS Monaco. He hit the winner for Arsenal against Wigan last night.

Nicknamed ‘Baby Kanu’, due to his resemblance to Nwankwo Kanu, Adebayor also wears Kanu’s old Arsenal shirt number 25 and wears No. 4 for Togo.

Emmanuel Adebayor Football Boots: Adidas +F50 TUNiT

New Umbro football boot - Umbro SX Boot

The Umbro SX Boot, is the latest professional end football boot from the Manchester based boot manufacturer.

Two Football Boots, Two Colours

A unique feature is that the left and right football boot is a different colour. The Umbro SX is being marketed with this message “Two Sides, One Goal”. The right boot is coloured red and silver, the left is black and silver. For me, this is going to look a bit odd on the football pitch, but still it’s a gimmick, isn’t it?

So on to the business end of the football boots…

The Umbro SX Boot is a fusion of two of their most successful boots. The SX Boot incorporates the comfort and simplicity of the classic, Speciali with the flare and technology of the Evolution X.

Performance: Everything about the Umbro SX Boot is lightweight. The upper is lightweight Tejon microfibre, the heel counter is built from a lightweight TPU and Glass Fibre and it comes with a lightweight anatomical in sock. This all makes a for a very light football boot, that will not slow down your game.

Power and touch is aided by teaming up with Michelin, yes Michelin the tyre manufacturers. They have helped create a layered application to the strike zone on the football boots. This microfibre suede system with a silicon print application has been developed to give extra feel on your touch.

Comfort: The Umbro SX Boot is built with an upper made from lightweight Tejin microfibre that offers the wearer comfort and speed. The in sock, made from Poron, provides absorption on ground contact, where the major forces meet and stability is needed.

The Umbro SX has a choice of two soleplates. The ”Fixed Metal” has 13 metal studs fixed, which are for good, firm and hard ground surfaces. The soft ground option is 6 screw in studs for use on soft natural surfaces.

Players: TBA

Price: £130

Verdict: Are we getting tired of the gimmicks being launched with each new football boot? No of course not, this is another quality high end football boot to mix it with the best.

Images: View the Umbro SX Boot images

Footy-Boots.com lists our Top 5 Football Books

In need of a last minute Christmas present? Our list of favourite football books should help you out of a last minute dilemma.

1. Scoring at Half-Time - George Best

As you would expect, George Best does not hold back in this book. Best looks at his favourite memories and stories. Funny, honest and an interesting view of life as a football super star.

Ideal for: Reading while the soaps are on TV.

2. Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life - Alex Bellos

A look at the Brazilian game. It’s factual and funny with some great stories. This book gives a you a rounded knowledge of football in Brazil.

Ideal for: Lovers of the beautiful game.

3. We All Live in a Perry Groves World - Perry Groves

A fun packed ride through Perry’s career. Honest and to the point, Perry does not hold back.

Ideal for: As Perry said, “Packing in your suitcase for holidays.”

4. The Way It Was - Stanley Matthews

The story of one of the best footballers of all time, and he was a gentleman! This is an intriguing book, from a humble man who was known as “The Wizard of Dribble”.

Ideal for: Granddad’s, and football history fans.

5. World Cup Stories: A BBC History of the FIFA World Cup - Chris Hunt

This is a must have book. It chronicles the World Cup and features all the highlights, both off the field and on it.

Ideal for: Finding something to do over Christmas.

Nike have secured a nine-year sponsorship deal with the Football Federation of Australia.

Nike said the deal, represented its “biggest ever commitment to any sport in Australia”.

The sponsorship covers the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, 2007, 2011 and 2015 AFC Asian Cups and the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cups.

This follows Nike’s audacious bid for a deal with the German national team last week ( Nike to Sponsor German Football Team). Clearly Nike see great benefit from sponsoring national teams.

This year Nike expects to sell a record 23 million pairs of football boots and more than 10 million footballs.

Nike currently sponsors 32 clubs, 18 national teams, including Brazil, Holland and Portugal, as well as many leading players, including Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho with his 10R collection and Tiempo Ronaldinho football boots.

Freddy Adu the 17 year old American star, is on the move, but not to a European club.

Freddy Adu has been traded by DC United and will play for Real Salt Lake in the 2007 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, at least for the start of it…

Freddy Adu, who trained with Manchester United (see article Freddy Adu Football Boots) and is said to be a Chelsea target, cannot play outside the United States until he turns 18 on June 2nd next year. The MLS season starts in April.

DC United traded Adu and the rights to their goalkeeper Nick Rimando for a major allocation (an amount of money DC United can use to sign players), the rights to goalie Jay Nolly and future considerations, including a share of future replacement allocation money attributed to Freddy Adu should he be transferred.
No doubt the big European clubs will have a watchful eye on the progress Adu makes, in the run up to his 18th birthday.

Adu made 87 appearances for DC United, scoring 11 goals.

Freddy Adu wears Nike Total 90 Supremacy football boots.

David Beckham remains Britain’s wealthiest footballer in a list of the sport’s richest people, published by FourFourTwo magazine.

Beckham’s fortune is estimated at £87m, nearly three times as much as Newcastle’s Michael Owen, whose £32m places him second among the super rich players.

The criteria is that the players are either British or British-based. The tables are worked out using established methods of calculating business values and individual wealth. However, they are only guidelines as the players do not publish their bank accounts!

The Ukrainian, Andriy Shevchenko is the richest foreigner, his balance has no doubt been enhanced by his recent transfer to Chelsea.

The youngest member of the Top Ten Richest Footballer’s is Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United forward is estimated to be worth £20 million.

With a potentially long career ahead of him, Wayne Rooney has plenty of time to climb this ladder, although to ensure he is appealing to advertisers, he must maintain a marketable image, so no more brothels Wayne!