Nike are running a competition which will allow the winners to design football boots for this Premier League clash.

Nike is giving football fans a unique opportunity to design the match-day football boots of some of the game’s biggest stars.  Top Arsenal and Manchester United players will do battle in NIKEiD football boots when the teams meet at The Emirates Stadium on Saturday 8th November.  Supporters of both clubs will get the chance to submit designs by visiting www.NIKEiD.com and have an influence on one of the games of the season.

Fans will be able to design football boots for Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand, and Arsenal’s William Gallas, Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott.  Fans will be able to vote for their favourite design with players picking a football boot from the top ten most voted for to wear in what is set to be one of this season’s biggest matches.

As well as designing online via NIKEiD.com, fans can also visit the Nike Boot Room at Nike Town London to work with the NIKEiD design consultants to create their pair.

David James thinks football brands are affecting the beautiful game. Does he have a point, or is he just too old school for modern equipment?

Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James has written in his weekly newspaper column about the negative impact football brands are having on the modern game.

Footballs

James rants at the different footballs which are continually changed for major tournaments and new seasons, stating that he thinks they are marketing gimmicks. He takes a swipe at the Adidas Teamgeist used in the 2006 World Cup and the Europass used in the Euro 2008 competition. During these two competitions, James claims that the football’s used are not improving the game and suggests that the footballs are to be blamed for a lack of converted ‘direct’ free kicks during these two tournaments.

Ballack’s free kick for Germany against Austria in Euro 2008 apart, perhaps he has a point. Official statistics state that there were no directly converted goals scored during Euro 2006, Ballack’s fantastic strike got a slight deflection, so is omitted from the numbers. When you think that 31 games were played in Euro 2008 and just the one (Ballack) direct free kick ended up in the net, perhaps James has a point?

The Premier League ball doesn’t get away lightly either. James questions the need to change from a white football to a yellow one in the winter. Officials will say its due to improved visibility, but James questions the need for the white one at all then. James intimated “Why not just stick with yellow all year round?”

Football Boots

Talking about football boots, James says that seasoned pro’s favour the Adidas Copa Mundial football boot. The Adidas Copa Mundial, hasn’t been changed for thirty years and in James’s view is “the best football boot in the world”, he goes further to say that “if this boot doesn’t need changing then why do all the others?”

Do the manufacturer’s have a lot to answer for, no less, do the Premier League players?  For according to James some of them “are lying through their teeth”  as long as the price is right. Maybe it’s all a case of “the Emperor’s new clothes”.

James is currently wearing Kelme football boots and by his own admission, has resorted to wearing alternative football boots and adding on the brand logo. He also wears the HO Soccer goalkeeping gloves, a brand he is happy wearing as he plays a big part in the development of the glove, which is currently the Black and Gold Pro Mega Negative.

But perhaps the most controversial aspect of DJ’s insight into professionals use of football boots is his question. “Are footballers becoming slaves - to use a Sepp Blatter term - to the manufacturers? Wearing the wrong boots, potentially hampering their performances, because the contract comes with a £1m price tag”.

Let us pose another question. “If football boot brands didn’t pay for endorsements, would players be wearing a ‘near’ retail priced football boot? Or would they have a football boot customised to their own foot shape and playing style?

There’s no doubt the majority of us are sold on hype, some read about what their heroes are wearing and see it on TV all the time and they want that brand . We’ve all been there, no matter what our age or status.

At least you can get informed advice here at Footy Boots, we’ll give you the manufacturer’s slant on it and if you have an informed view we’ll share that too.

Newcastle’s Michael Owen tops the British Football Rich List.

British football is still spending big. Foreign owners, TV deals and the popularity of the Premier League worldwide means that the credit crunch is not pinching at our footballers pockets.

Based on The Sunday Times Rich List of people in Britain under the age of 30, the list throws up a couple of surprises, like Harry Kewell!

Harry Kewell - Joint 9th - £13 million

A career blighted by injuries, led Harry to make just 93 appearances in five years for Liverpool. High salaries and a high profile in Australia has helped Harry into joint 9th place.

Harry slipped into this list as it was researched prior to his departure to Galatasaray.

Harry Kewell wears Nike Tiempo Air Legend II football boots

Didier Drogba - Joint 9th - £13 million

The Ivorian forward has been a huge success at Chelsea since his £24 million transfer from Marseille in 2004.

He expects to improve his £90 K per week salary, which along with a Nike endorsement agreement and a sponsorship deal with Samsung, makes a Didier a very wealthy young man.

Didier Drogba wears Nike Mercurial Vapor IV football boots

Damien Duff - 8th - £14 million

Starting his career at Blackburn, Duff moved to Chelsea in 2003 (£17 million) and then Newcastle in 2006 (£5 million). Along with the transfers, a Lucozade sponsorship deal and Adidas boot deal means Duff comes in at 8th in this survey.

Damien Duff wears Adidas adiPURE football boots

Cristiano Ronaldo - 7th - £15 million

Expect Ronaldo’s stock to rise. Said to be staying in Manchester now, his £120 K per week salary and deals galore, notably with Suzuki, Coca Cola and of course his Nike football boot agreement will without doubt grow.

Cristiano Ronaldo wears Nike Mercurial SL football boots

John Terry - 6th - £16 million

Chelsea captain John Terry has a staggering £140 K per month salary. Topping that figure up are sponsorship deals with Sansung, Nationwide, Pro Evolution Soccer and an Umbro football boot deal.

John Terry wears Umbro SX Valor football boots

Steven Gerrard - joint 4th - £19 million

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard earns £120 K per month. He’s been at Liverpool all his career, so no transfer fee cut boosts his bank balance, but a book deal made up for that. He also has a major football boot deal with Adidas.

Steven Gerrard wears Adidas Predator PowerSwerve football boots

Frank Lampard - joint 4th - £19 million

Fat Frank, named because of his bank balance? Frank has just extended his Chelsea contract, putting him on £33 million over 5 years. When you add in his Pepsi and Gatorade deals, his autobiography back in 2006 and an Adidas football boot deal, Frank is unlikely to be hard up after hs carrer finishes.

Rio Ferdinand - 3rd -£28 million

Rio’s £120 K per month wages are supported by two large transfers, first from West Ham to Leeds (£18 million), then Leeds to Manchetser United (£30 million). His book deal, Ben Sherman modelling contract and Nike football boot endorsement agreement places Rio in 3rd spot.

Rio Ferdinand wears Nike Total 90 Laser II football boots

Wayne Rooney - 2nd - £35 million

Wozza at just 22 years old is in good financial health. Wages £115 K per month, deals a plenty with Nokia, Ford, Asda, and Coca Cola. Add in a £5 million advance book deal and a Nike football boots sponsorship deal and Coleen will be well pleased with her new hubby.

Wayne Rooney wears Nike Total 90 Laser II football boots

Michael Owen - 1st -£41 million

The little man who’s career started so brightly at Liverpool has made a small fortune thanks to having an ideal image for markting. Nestle, Persil, Pro Evolution Soccer, Tissot and Jaguar all pay to have Owen’s name associated with their brands. As does Umbro who pay him to wear heir football boots.

His moves from Liverpool to Real Madrid and then to Newcastle all helped Owen hit the top of the British Football Rich List.

Michael Owen wear Umbro Speciali football boots

Concave invited Footy Boots behind the scenes to watch the filming of their new grassroots video. With a chance to see the Concave football boots in a natural environment, we took them up on their offer.

Concave chose a local football team to feature in their video, a club called Riseley Sports, who play in the Bedfordshire Premier League, UK.

We arrived on location to be welcomed with grey sky and drizzle, typical!

True to their word, Concave had not arranged any special conditions, this video was being filmed on a village playing field and the players were a selection of lads from Riseley’s squad.

The film crew were well prepared by the time we arrived as they wanted to record the lads turning up at the playing field, which they duly did.

The players had a quick knock up in their existing gear before their coach handed out the new Concave football boots. It was obvious that the players had not seen them before and they were all interested in the unique upper component.

Once the lads had the football boots on, it seemed like they wanted to take some anger out on the ball. Many of the players were smacking the ball as hard as they could, something the Concave boys explained always happens when a player first gets in a Concave. Once they settled down and stopped trying to send the football into Orbit, the players started to enjoy themselves, at the goalkeepers expense.

Concave wanted the lads to test the Power and Accuracy of the football boots. Remember, Concave independent tests say that accuracy is improved by 30% and power by 15%.

For the lads to feel the power of the football boots, footballs were placed at various lengths away from the goal and the players shot at goal repeatedly. They were raining shots at the goal and we could only feel sorry for the keeper who was trying to keep the ball out of the net.

For the accuracy test, Concave attached an accuracy net to the top right hand corner of the goal. From a distance around 5 yards outside of the penalty area, the players were asked to hit the ball into the net. We were surprised by the results.

To see how the Riseley Sports players got on, watch the video…..

Visit the Concave website

HO David James Goalkeeper Gloves – Black & Gold ‘Pro Mega Negative’

Last weekend’s Community Shield game between Manchester United and Portsmouth turned out to be the modestly, but not sensationally contested pre-season warm up game that many people had expected, with too many players still shaking off the effects of the summer rest. But one man for whom that could not be said was Portsmouth’s ever present goalkeeper David James, who looked as sharp as ever. James pulled off some good saves including one ‘straight out of the top drawer’, turning away at full stretch Carlos Tevez’s effort from the edge of the box and leaving the Argentine clearly frustrated.

Under the always watchful gaze of ‘Fab’ Capello, James must have been secretly delighted. He builds up more chips in his stake in the competition to be England’s Number One, with a rejuvenated Ben Foster now back in the frame, and Hart, Kirkland and others chasing hard.

James marshals the Pompey defence in Sunday’s Community Shield match against Manchester United

David James’ continuing recognition as the best current English goalkeeper has created a great deal of interest from goalkeepers in the black and gold goalkeeper gloves he has been wearing since the end of last season. James lifted the FA Cup in the gloves and they featured in England’s Wembley defeat of the U.S.A. in May, as well as the weekend’s Charity Shield game, and they will be the gloves in which he begins the 2008-09 Premiership and European campaigns with Portsmouth. The gloves in question – the HO SOCCER Pro Mega Negative Black and Gold goalkeeper gloves - specially developed for David James with an enormous amount of input from him. They’re due to hit the shops in September and will be available in negative cut and roll finger versions.

David James’ HO SOCCER Pro Mega Negative goalkeeper gloves. Release date September 2008

David James is a fascinating guy. Like a fine wine, a player whose game has only improved with maturity, everything he does is meticulous. While other players were enjoying the summer break, James allowed himself only a week of cooked breakfasts after the end of the season, before getting back onto the salad, cold showers and early morning meditation. Well, we’re not sure about the cold showers and meditation, but it wouldn’t be surprising. James worked over the summer on maintaining his fitness with regular runs, and competed in the international Free Kick Masters Tournament held in Houston, Texas, against free kick specialists including Lionel Messi and other top goalkeepers including Francesco Toldo. Best Goalkeeper prize? James won it.

‘Numquam Dubitatio’ – ‘Never a Doubt’. James has added his own motto to the wrist strap of his gloves, seen here on the palm side of the right hand

In his choice of goalkeeper gloves the story is no different. Everything has to be right. James and HO SOCCER worked closely together in the development of the HO SOCCER Pro Mega Black and Gold release. After signing with HO at the beginning of the 2007-08 season, James originally started with the blue Pro Mega Flat gloves, before moving to the Pro Mega Roll. He then developed a preference for black colouring on the backhand of the gloves, and coloured in the blue of his Pro Mega Roll gloves with a black marker himself! HO SOCCER obligingly released the Pro Mega Roll in black and white, saving James the time of colouring in the gloves. But as last season wore on, James began trialling the HO Enigma goalkeeper gloves, and became a big fan of the negative cut style. The HO Pro Mega Black and Gold gloves were developed with this in mind, and James now wears the negative cut version. After some initial consideration of a Black and Pink design, the Black and Gold model was settled on, and HO SOCCER decided to use the pink colour on the new Protek Negative model instead.

Expect to see the Pro Mega Negative Black and Gold goalkeeper gloves starring in Portsmouth and England games throughout the season, quite possibly with an interesting variety of James’ Magic Marker customised touches…

Technical info: HO SOCCER Pro Mega Black and Gold goalkeeper gloves

GLOVE CUT - Roll finger or negative cut versions available
CONDITIONS - Dry, damp, wet, soft ground
PALM TYPE - Mega Grip latex foam
PALM THICKNESS - 4mm latex, plus 3mm backing foam
PALM LENGTH -  Wrist length
SPECIAL FEATURES - MAS technology (Micro Adjustable Strap). Adjustable strap in the lower backhand of the glove at wrist height, allowing the fit of the gloves to be tightened loosened according to the goalkeeper’s preference. Provides greater choice to the goalkeeper, and greater ability to tailor the glove fit to exact requirements.

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