Having worked in a retail environment selling footwear, I’ve had to address one question many times as customers stare blankly at the ‘soccer cleat’ section: “Why is this one more expensive than that one?”

The reason for the price increase between various football boots goes beyond what is easily seen with the eye; so, this post is dedicated to understanding perhaps the key component that makes one boot more expensive than another.

The primary difference in football boots comes down to the material(s) that the majority of the boot is made from, which will be reflected in the price. Typically companies will offer football boots made of:

1.    Synthetic Leather
2.    Full-Grain Leather
3.    Kangaroo Leather (more commonly “k-Leather”)

Puma v1.08 k-leather

Synthetic leather is made of hides blended with polymers to basically make more material out of less leather. (The process was invented during World War 2 as a cure for the leather shortages being felt.) The lower amount of leather required makes these boots cheap in price, but the plastic-feeling, less-breathable, less-malleable material is far from ideal for a football boot.

One of the most critical flaws in these boots is that the synthetic material, being more stiff and rigid, allows for less ‘give’ – in a football situation, an external force (i.e. a studs-up tackle) may cause the foot to take a majority of the force, leading to injuries. This was one concern pointed out by Craig Johnston, the adidas Predator creator, in our earlier article regarding stud research.

However, many manufacturers have spent hundreds and thousands in R & D to develop their own synthetic materials and these are now commonplace and part of the football boot vocabluary. For instance, Nike has it’s Teijin synthetic upper on the Mercurial Vapor V while Mizuno have come up with Kuraray for the Wave Ghost. These certainly buck the trend of ‘cheapo synthetics’.

Nike Mercurial Vapor V

Because suppleness of leather equates to better ball control and feel, even most amateur and recreational players will make the first step up to a better quality material – Full-Grain Leather. This leather is left in its natural state (minus the hairs that once grew on it) and retains its natural strength, breathability and malleability. This leather will stretch over time and reshape as it is worn, giving it a closer and more natural contact to the ball, all while keeping the foot cooler than a synthetic would.

The PUMA v-Konstrukt III uses Full Grain leather

Since leather stretches, it has become common for footballers to buy a size smaller than what they should wear, which leaves the football boot fitting closer once the leather has stretched. This practice is not necessarily a safe option however, as it impedes the natural movement of the foot when running, shooting, etc, which can lead to injury as well. The right boot for you should fit well at the time of purchase.

For those looking to upgrade even further, there is an increasingly popular alternative to full-grain leather which offers increased benefits while retaining all the qualities that make it attractive in the first place. That alternative is k-leather.

A k-leather classic, the adidas adiPure II

Typically, leather is made from calf, and this is what almost all football boots made of “full-grain leather” will be composed of. However, k-leather is made from hides taken from (you guessed it)  kangaroo. This leather is extremely versatile, as it is light and can be thinned a great deal without losing an excessive amount of durability. Wikipedia quotes:

When split into thinner substances kangaroo retains considerably more of the original tensile strength of the unsplit leather than does calf. When split to 20% of original thickness kangaroo retains between 30 to 60% of the tensile strength of the unsplit hide. Calf on the other hand split to 20% of original thickness retains only 1-4% of original strength.

Not only does this allow football boot manufacturers to decrease weight and improve on-ball feel, it also ensures that in doing so the boot does not sacrifice the safety of its wearer. This is of critical importance in a world of dangerous bladed cleats, crunching tackles and a growing abundance of metatarsal injuries.

Leather has been the classic footballer’s choice for decades, and is still faithfully represented in many of the top boots of the day. Safety when playing football should always be key, so don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on a football boot that better suits your level of competition; you may also get a comfier and touch-enhancing boot out of it too.

Capello shuffles his pack ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Croatia.

Goalkeepers

David James misses out, with Portsmouth manager Paul Hart stating he had “bone bruising” on his knee. James has also been strongly linked with a move to Spurs.

Robert Green has started the past three internationals but Ben Foster may get the nod against Slovenia.

Ben Foster (Manchester United), Robert Green (West Ham United), Paul  Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)

Defenders

With Rio Ferdinand missing due to a thigh strain, team-mate Wes Brown makes a surprise return, after being out of the frame for over a year.

Brown has started well this term and Capello can also use him as cover for Glen Johnson at right-back.

Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Ashley  Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United)

Midfielders

The most hotly contested position in the team looks likely to go to Aaron Lennon. The wide right spot has recently been reserved for Theo Walcott, but he’s out with a back complaint. Beckham could share the minutes in the warm up with Slovenia, with a decision then made for Croatia.

Gareth Barry (Manchester City), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), Michael  Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Aston Villa),  Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)

Forwards

Owen has been overlooked once more, but that’s no surprise given the form of Defoe lately. Peter Crouch has been called up after he missed out on the squad that played Holland earlier this summer.

Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur),  Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Argentina and Barcelona star Lionel Messi debuted a new football boot in the Super Cup final.

Messi and his football boot sponsor adidas teamed up and designed a special F50i colourway as a tribute to Lionel Messi’s home country Argentina.

Lionel Messi F50i

Messi used the new football boot for the first time on Friday, August 28th, when Champions League winner FC Barcelona beat UEFA Cup holders Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in extra time, landing the European Super Cup.

On September 5th, when the Argentinian national team plays a hugely important game against Brazil in Messi’s hometown Rosario, Lionel Messi will show the football boots for the first time in Argentina.

The colours of the Argentinean national flag (gold, white and sky blue) can be found on the dark blue football boots, together with the sun emblem which is placed in the centre of the national flag.

After David Beckham, Franz Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler, Lionel Messi is only the fourth player to receive a personal adidas football boot.

Lionel Messi:

  I’m honoured that adidas came up with these boots. The design and colours reflect the love I feel for my country and my team. The game in Rosario is crucial for us and I hope these boots will help me score goals against Brazil!.

Argentinian Martin Tibabuzo, football designer at adidas, designed the football boot with pride:

  Designing an adidas boot for Messi is really the highlight of my career. Integrating the national colours and symbols like the sun was not work but a dream come true and I’m very excited with the result. Watching the game Argentina versus Brazil will now be even more special for me.

The new F50i Messi football boot will soon be available worldwide. The F50i will then be available in a total of four colourways (white, black, cyan and the dark blue Messi colourway).

Stoke City have raided Championship club Middlesbrough to make two signings as the end of the transfer window draws closer.

Huth and Tuncay, the new Stoke signing, pressuring Bobby Zamora.

They have signed defender Robert Huth and striker Tuncay for a combined fee of £10m and they may both make their debuts against Sunderland this weekend.

Both signings are a sign of Stoke’s intentions this season and it is clear that they are determined to firmly establish themselves as a Premier League club. Potters boss Tony Pulis seems very happy with his week’s work in the transfer market as well.

Speaking about Huth – who completed his move on Thursday – Pulis said that the German defender gives the team ‘international pedigree and Premier League experience’. He also said that the former Chelsea man was the type of player that can help Stoke improve on their respectable finish of 12th last season.

As for Turkish international Tuncay – who finalised his switch to the club on Friday – Pulis revealed how excited he was about how the lively striker can ‘get the crowd going’. As captain of his national team, Pulis also believes that he can add leadership qualities to the team and help those around him at all times.

Stoke Chief executive Tony Scholes also spoke of his delight about the double capture saying that both players had ‘attracted attention from a number of big clubs’, meaning that it is a ‘powerful statement’ of the club’s intentions this season.

It has been a mixed start to the season for Stoke so far with one victory, one defeat and one draw in the league so far. They have secured a place in the next round of the Carling Cup game though, so there is something to build on in the rest of the campaign as they attempt to upset the Carling Cup odds.

Three points against Sunderland this weekend would certainly confirm the relatively solid start to the season and the inclusion of Huth and Tuncay in the squad will surely boost the team’s chances of this.

The five British clubs in the Champions League have been given relatively favourable draws for the group stages of the competition which kicks off in mid September.

Last season’s finalists Manchester United take on CSKA Moscow, Besiktas and Wolfsburg in Group B, a trio of games that manager Sir Alex Ferguson has described as tricky. Speaking after the draw took place in Monaco, Fergie said:

These are difficult ties, especially the trips to Russia and Turkey.

CSKA have developed strongly in the last few years, and games in Turkey are always difficult.

We also know the quality that we’re up against with Wolfsburg, with what they achieved in the Bundesliga last season.

Liverpool face Lyon, Fiorentina and Debrecen while Chelsea, who lost out in the semi finals last season to Barcelona, play Porto, Atletico Madrid and APOEL Nicosia.

Arsenal have been drawn against AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos and Standard Liege, while Rangers will play Sevilla, Stuttgart and Unirea Urziceni.

Big-spending Real Madrid have been drawn in Group C, along with AC Milan, Marseille and Zurich.

Group A

Bayern Munich
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa

Group B

Manchester United
CSKA Moscow
Besiktas
Wolfsburg

Group C

AC Milan
Real Madrid
Marseille
FC Zurich

Group D

Chelsea
Porto
Atletico Madrid
APOEL Nicosia

Group E

Liverpool
Lyon
Fiorentina
Debrecen

Group F

Barcelona
Inter Milan
Dinamo Kiev
Rubin Kazan

Group G

Rangers
Sevilla
Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni

Group H

Arsenal
AZ Alkmaar
Olympiakos
Standard Liege

Here at Footy-Boots HQ we’ve really been wondering, “What’s so Special about the Speciali?”

Umbro have certainly placed a lot of trust in the Speciali, emphasizing the football boot’s features and advantages with some stylish marketing. So joining in with the likes of Michael Owen, Gaël Clichy, Deco, and Pepe is Matt Dawson with his take on Umbro’s world renowned classic boot.

I have to admit I have a soft spot for Umbro, it dates back to my early days as a football fan when Michael Owen was taking centre stage in world football. The fact that Umbro is one of the few remaining brands that focuses solely on football is enticing to me as well. But having been let down by both Umbro’s X-Boot and SX range, I was a little concerned the Speciali were going to do the same.

Aesthetics

Though these boots may not suit the likes of you who love vibrant coloured football boots, I have a fondness for the classic look of the Speciali. Not to say that I haven’t worn my fair share of eye-catching football boots, but the pure design mixed with the British Racing Green colours make for a very understated elegance. The little details such as the white and gold lining along the A-Frame are a nice finishing touches as well.

Comfort/Fit

Here in West Texas comfort is a telling sign in a football boot when you are playing in the dry heat with rock hard soil underneath your feet.

With the Speciali comfort is unrivalled by any other football boot I’ve ever worn. The high density memory foam insole is extremely comfortable featuring Poron inserts for a soft and cozy feel, a bit like that of a house slipper. The toe box is roomy which is important for me as I have particularly wide feet. The boots are much lighter than I expected and offer your foot room to breathe, yet the leather molds nicely to your foot once broken in.

Durability 

Only having had the football boots for a short time, I can’t yet determine what the lifespan of these boots will be. However, I can say the football boots are manufactured very well and the quality of materials is exceptional. The boots are stitched and cemented like its predecessor which is always a good sign. Despite not featuring a lace cover, there’s no need to worry about the laces becoming worn down and frayed. The nylon laces are well woven and thick, ensuring a tight fit. The one downside to the laces is that they tend to catch on the Velcro pad where the traditional flip tongue attaches.

Touch

The Speciali’s supple k-leather and clean upper makes for a superb feel for the ball and offers great touch. An improvement from the original Speciali, the Umbro Double Diamond logo is pressed and printed onto the football boot rather than a large stitched patch. The football boots are great for dribbling and passing, and despite not being a flash boot, allow for all the flair, flicks, and tricks that the F50i and Vapor tout.

Traction

One of the few things that worried me when purchasing the Speciali was the stud placement and design. The studs didn’t appear that they would allow proper weight dispersion in the heel area because they sit further forward from the heel than on most football boots.

Another anomaly was that the heel studs were shaped in the same mold as the rest of the studs, which I thought wouldn’t allow for sufficient traction. My fears were relieved in my first run out with the boots, with the studs engaging and releasing with the turf properly. The weight dispersion in the studs made it feel as if you were walking on a plush carpet, making it an extremely comfortable experience for your feet. My only complaint is that the heel studs are positioned in such a way that you feel as if your weight is on your heels at times, so you’re not being able to spring forward as quickly.

Features

With its style inspired by the Wembley archway, the A-Frame lacing system offers a tight fit cradling the mid foot area and is a great mechanism for maintaining your laces tightness. The Fast Flex groove in the outsole really allows for greater flexibility and helps you accelerate after that cross-field ball. Without any real “gimmicks”or technologies involved in the football boot, Umbro played off the marketing side of the boot well with a light-hearted, nostalgic take on them.

Conclusion

Having worn the past few generations of the Vapor line consistently, these boots have brought me back to my senses. With the Speciali you truly get your money’s worth along with a clean, classic look so your skill can do the talking on the field for you.

Nike’s influence seems to have rejuvenated the design team at Umbro and I’m glad to say they’re back with much higher standards and a completely new feel. The Speciali really are a homage to football boot heritage and are very underrated in my eyes. Umbro really took it back to the basics with this football boot, and it shows the useless gimmicks costing you another 30 quid just aren’t worth it.

Review by Matt Dawson

Arsenal striker Eduardo has come under fire from the Scottish football authorities after his controversial penalty put Arsenal on the way to Champions League qualification at the expense of Celtic.

Although TV replays appeared to show no contact between Eduardo and Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc, the Croatian international fell to the pitch to win a 1st half penalty which he duly converted himself.

That put Arsenal 3 – 0 up on aggregate. They eventually ran out winners 5 – 1.

Even Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger described the penalty award dubious.

However, Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith has gone further and has called for Arsenal striker Eduardo to be banned after accusing him of diving.

In a strongly worded statement, Smith said:

Last night Eduardo showed disrespect to the game by his actions.

We have shown courage to use retrospective punishment when it comes to simulation. I’d urge Uefa to do so. Since I came into post I have raised the issue of simulation time and time again - both here in Scotland and with Fifa and Uefa.

I don’t think that I have received enough support in my efforts to eradicate what I believe to be one of the most serious threats to the integrity of football.

Last night showed exactly why we must take this issue seriously.

Everything that can be done to stamp it out must be done. Starting right now.

There were some pictures of the actress Sharon Stone in a UK newspaper recently. Topless! The angle of the piece was ‘Doesn’t she look great for a 50 year old’. And you have to admit she did.

The dress she was nearly wearing looked expensive and the make up was flawless as was the hair do. So, here’s a question for you. If 10 women who read that article tried to re-create that picture, how do you think they’d get on? Yes, they could buy the same dress, have their make up done and their hair as well. But would they be a Stone-Clone at the end of it? Of course not.

The reason for this is simple. You need to have the natural talent in the first place (plus a bit of airbrushing if it helps).

It’s the same in football.

The speedy Cristiano Ronaldo uses the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

After Footy Boots ran the story about Theo Walcott being the fastest player in the Premier League, the whole debate on certain football boots making players quicker started again.

It’s easy to understand why given the claims of loads of brands regarding the attributes of their speed football boots. So many youngsters want to emulate Walcott, Ronaldo, Eto’o or Anelka that of course, they are going to be drawn to the same products their heroes wear. But they should be for the right reasons, not because they think the impossible will happen.

Let’s be clear about this. If your ultimate top speed as a player is 20 mph in proper fitting, appropriate footwear then it’s hugely doubtful that you will be noticeably quicker if you wear a different type of football boot, however brilliantly designed, light or well intentioned they may be.

Built for speed or what? The PUMA v1.815 Ferrari

Of course I get the argument about weight. A player in a standard kit will always beat another player wearing the same kit but carrying two bags of heavy shopping over 40 metres. But we are not talking kilos here, we are talking grams.

If we agree that an average player weights 80 kilos, a 200g pair of football boots represents 0.25% of his body weight. Equally, a 350g pair of boots would come in at 0.44%. And in today’s football boot market place, that’s a pretty big gap.

If we also agree that this player can cover 40 metres in 5 seconds, then the advantage that the lighter boots give him is…..one hundredth of a second. That may make a difference in an Olympic 100m final but on a football pitch, I’m not so sure.

Indeed, others will argue that the heavier boot gives a player a better platform to overcome inertia, just as sprinters use blocks on a track rather than going from a standing start. So, any advantage the lighter boot has over the ground will have already been negated before a player reaches sprinting speed.

By way of an experiment, and one which I accept was completely and utterly unscientific, I tried this weight theory out for myself.

Being a lumbering defender and using the lightest football boots I posses, the Nomis Spark, I ran 20 metres from a racing start on 3 occasions.

I then repeated the process in the heaviest boots in my locker, my trusted open-side flanker rugby favourites, the Nomis Supremacy. Now, my sprinting speed has been compared to that of a depressed hedgehog on valium. Usain Bolt hasn’t got anything to worry about. But the results were at least consistent. And there was no discernible difference over the 6 runs.

By way of a control, I also ran the same course in a pair of PUMA King XL’s, adidas adiPure II’s and finally the PUMA v-Konstrukt II.

Apart from getting a few strange looks from the hairdressers and dry-cleaner’s across the road, nothing. Nada. The times were virtually identical.

In the end, I suspect that it all comes down to perception and psychology. If you feel than you can run faster in one pair of football boots rather than another, then great. That’s maybe the edge you are looking for. And who knows, for players at our level, that could be enough.

So, if in your mind this means that some football boots can make you quicker, then so be it. I can live with that.

But I also know that if I walked down the local high street in a torso hugging T-shirt and jeans, not many people would mistake me for Jude Law! In the end, I’m convinced that life in general and football as a part of that all comes down to how you are built and what natural ability you possess.

Mind you, I did feel special in those bright red Nomis boots! Oi Jude. Over ‘ere son. First one to five?

Having been confirmed as the fastest player in the Premier League, it’s no surprise that Nike have followed up the news with a cool viral video focusing on Theo Walcott’s pace.

Theo Walcott laces up his Vapor Superfly football boots.

Fast is good, people take notice, but blistering pace is something different.

You could stop when they have done ‘enough’ and go no further, satisfied with being just another name on the team sheet.

Others aim to be the opposition’s worst nightmare, electric pace that strikes fear into the heart of defenders, making your mark on each and every match.

This is the difference. This is Theo Walcott. This is the time to earn total respect. To add to your reputation and to that of the shirt.

Theo Walcott holding the T90 Ascente Premier League football.

The video includes footage of Theo Walcott as a child playing local football, then at Southampton where he started his professional career before showing footage of Walcott at his current club Arsenal.

Watch the video and let us know what you think below.

Theo Walcott Make the Difference Video

Manchester City’s new signing Joleon Lescott has spoken out about his dwindling relationship with Everton boss David Moyes after completing a £22m switch to Eastlands.

New shade of blue for Lescott.

In the build-up to the transfer going ahead, Moyes claimed that Lescott had showed a ‘poor attitude’ towards Everton and that he lacked respect for the club that had given him his Premier League chance.

The England man has disputed these comments though by saying that he believes them to be ‘inaccurate’. Lescott said he would deal with them more thoroughly at ‘a later date’, but admitted that he was ‘disappointed’ with the way he was being spoken about.

Lescott didn’t play much for The Toffees in pre-season after making it clear that he wished to move to Manchester City. Despite this though, he played a part in the humiliating 6-1 defeat to Arsenal on the opening day, a performance he admits wasn’t his ‘finest game for Everton’.

He was then dropped for the Europa League match with Sigma Olomouc as Moyes started to get frustrated with his attitude. The player himself is convinced that he ‘didn’t disrespect any of the players’ during his final few days at the club though and that he always kept a ‘good rapport with the fans’.

The 27-year-old is only focused on doing well for Manchester City now, saying that his ambitions and the club’s are very similar. As we all know, big things are planned at Eastlands and Lescott is clearly
excited to be a part of it.

Speaking about what the team can achieve, he said that they are more than capable of breaking into the top four this season, as the Premier League odds show. After a summer of big-spending, Lescott is convinced that the squad is ‘well equipped’ to have a very successful campaign.

Mark Hughes’ men have certainly started brightly with two wins from two games and they will be looking to make it three out of three when they travel to Portsmouth on Saturday where Lescott will be hoping to make his debut.

Liverpool’s start

Statistics can tell you many things. In the Premier League for instance, it’s commonplace for the team that wins the title to lose 5 or 6 games during the season. This is what Liverpool are spouting after 2 defeats from their first 3 games. “Don’t panic” is the cry from Anfield. “We can still win the big prize.” Maybe.

Liverpool have two major problems though. First off, they just haven’t played that well. Against Spurs they were OK but against Villa, for all their possession, they were distinctly under par. Secondly, as the wise old sage Sir Alex Ferguson suggested recently, Liverpool  might struggle to equal the 86 points they recorded last season – a massive total for a team who didn’t lift the Premier League trophy.  For all their talk of challenging for the ultimate prize, Liverpool need to start performing on the pitch, and quick.

City additions

Joleon Lescott has completed his move to Manchester City for a fee reported to be in the region of £22 million. It takes the club’s recent spending spree to around £120 million. That being the case, wouldn’t it be easier for all of us if the media started reporting on who hasn’t signed for the club rather than who has?

For Sven and County

Still on the subject of money, I wonder how Sol Campbell will get on at Notts County? The former England defender has given up a possible swan song in the Premier League and signed for the ambitious and cash-rich League Two side. After such a fine career, no-one can begrudge Campbell a decent pay-day. But come on - £40,000 a week? Some of his new colleagues will be on closer to £500 - £750 a week.

Manager Ian McParland and Director of Football Sven-Goran Eriksson have got their work cut out to deliver on the pitch but as time goes on, it may well be in the dressing room that they will have produce their very best.

Not so Keane

Who would have thought that with Roy Keane in charge, Ipswich would be second from bottom of the Championship with just one point from four games? But perhaps even more surprising is the decision of Town’s 22 year old goalkeeper Shane Supple to walk away from the game.

In this day and age when most of us (I would suggest) believe that players are vastly overpaid and hugely underworked, it sort of restores your faith in humanity that a young man can make such a momentous decision rather than hanging on in there and taking his pay check every month.

Either way, I’d have loved to have seen the look on Keane’s face when Supple told him that “there’s more to life than football.” Perhaps he’s going to spend more time walking his dogs?

To celebrate the launch of Championship Manager 2010, Manchester-based artist Ed Chapman has recreated 2 portraits of Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson and his City rival Mark Hughes entirely out of one penny coins.

The pieces were commissioned by game developer Eidos to support the launch of the Championship Manager 2010 game which is currently on sale with a Pay What You Want payment model – meaning fans can pick the game up for as little as 1p by visiting www.champmanstore.com.

The portraits consists of 5430 1p coins each, all of which had to be sorted into shades and colours in order to complete the intricate design process.

Ed Chapman said:

I was really excited when the Championship Manager team approached me and told me about the Pay What You Want deal. Being from Manchester it has been interesting to watch Sir Alex Ferguson being quite frugal despite raking in £80m from the Ronaldo sale.

It’s a complete mirror image to his nearest rival, Mark Hughes, who is spending freely. The contradiction was the creative spark I needed to create the penny portrait.

The artwork will go under the hammer for auction with all proceeds going to a charity.

Notts County are close to signing former England centre-half Sol Campbell.

It’s expected that the deal will be completed today after the 34 year old held talks with the club over the weekend and again on Monday.

It was first reported that Campbell would be taking on a coaching role alongside Director of Football Sven-Goran Eriksson but it’s now understood that he’ll be signing in a playing capacity only.

If Campbell’s move goes through it would be the biggest signing for the Magpies since the club were taken over by a Middle-East consortium in July.

With Arsenal he twice won the Premier League title and the FA Cup three times and was in the Double-winning team of 2002. Campbell also won 73 caps for England but hasn’t featured in the national side since Fabio Capello took over as coach.

He made 32 appearances for Portsmouth last season but left the South Coast club in the summer.

Given their penchant for neon coloured football boots like the Mercurial Vapor IV Citron & Berry and the Blaze Orange T-90 Laser II, it was something of a surprise to hear Nike announce that their intention was to have all their players playing in black football boots for the first couple of months of the new season.

Nike’s ‘Back to Black’ range

Back when Footy Boots first broke this story in July there was a massive difference of opinion – some seemed to disagree with the move, and were obviously looking forward to seeing Nike’s newest models in glorious techinolour; whereas others welcomed the nod to the old-school, grateful for giving their tired eyes a rest.

From an analytic point of view; this was always going to happen. One of the big manufacturers was going to hit a point where there they couldn’t do anything more with the colouring on boots until the introduction of new models – a colourway critical mass if you like. This has probably come sooner than expected as with the advent of services like NikeiD, many people can just go out and buy the boots in the colours they want.

Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly

But have Nike made a bad move in terms of timing by launching their ‘Back to Black’ campaign?

The dawn of a new season is one of the key times in the football equipment market – with players of all levels and ages making their mind up and taking the plunge on a new pair of boots for the next 9 months, so surely as a company you’d want your product to be as obvious and bold as possible?

Looking at some of the prominent goal scorers from this weekend’s EPL action, Jermain Defoe, Emmanuel Adebayor   and Wade Elliott were all playing in a blistering blue adidas combo- Defoe & Adebayor in the f50i’s and Elliott in adiPure.

The striking adidas f50i

Other brands are going against Nike and moving away from black boots in a bid for getting noticed. Umbro are pushing the new White/Red Speciali (being sported by the rejuvenated Darren Bent), Under Armour are being represented by Danny Murphy’s White Dominate Pro’s and Peter Crouch is giving Puma plenty of camera-time in gold v1.08’s.

Umbro’s latest Speciali

Interestingly, from a scientific point of view the most ‘apparent’ colour to the human eye on the visible light spectrum is Green; however given the contrast to the grass that the beautiful game is played on very few green boots make it to market (only the ‘Unseen Green’ Puma v1.06 and f50.8’s in ‘Slime Green’ spring to mind)!

So, while Drogba, Rooney and Robinho were honouring their sponsor’s wishes by lacing up in Nike’s darkest, perhaps it players like Keane, Torres, Bendtner and Carlton Cole who opted for the more vibrant shades who’ll be doing them the biggest favour!

What’s your opinion? No-one’s going to think Nike are going to be in financial trouble over this move, but do you think they’ve made their football boots a little less attractive to buyers? Or, do you think that as long as Rooney, Drogba & co keep bagging goals that’s all the motivation people need to buy Nike boots? Let us know!