Footy Boots expert Perry Groves is half way through his schedule of video football boot tests and they’ve certainly struck a chord with players and manufacturers.

Footy Boots has been inundated with offers of other football boots for Perry to test, along with some other products which have caused the odd raised eyebrow in the Footy Boots office.

Breathable football shirts, shin pads and even a newly designed Astroturf pitch have all been put on the ‘possible’ list for future filming, though the gear offered by the ‘Pleasurama Private Shop’ in Amsterdam has been given the thumbs down. Ironic really, as most of the items have been designed to make certain body parts go in the opposite direction.

Tearing our attention back to football boots, still to come are the adiPure and the V1.08 but this time round, it’s the turn of the Nike Tiempo Legend II. One legend testing another you might say.

To find out what Perry made of them, all you need to do is click here.

New Nike video - Take It To The Next Level.

If you’re planning to watch the Champions League semi final, 2nd leg between Manchester United and Barcelona, and why wouldn’t you be, make sure you’re in your chair or on your bar stool a few minutes before kick off.

Whilst the pre match chat is normally an ideal opportunity for a cuppa or trip to the bar, at Footy Boots we will definitely stayed glued to the screen to watch the airing of a brand new Nike commercial, directed by none other than Guy ‘Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels’ Ritchie.

Entitled, ‘Take It To The Next Level’ , the ad charts the progression of a young football player from his beginnings in non-league football through to competing at the highest level for his country.

Some of the world’s best football players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Zlatan Ibrahimovich, Marco Materazzi and Rafael Marquez, feature in the all-action two-minute commercial which unfolds from the player’s first-hand perspective – the viewer is the player and is in the middle of all the action - on and off the pitch in all its glory.

The ad certainly hit the mark as far as Rooney was concerned. Asked for his advice to any budding young player he said “I think the advice I’d give to them is, as in any walk of life and in any sport, the main thing you have to do is work hard. If you work hard, practice everyday and make sure you are determined… I think with those three things you can then set yourself a good platform to go on and do well.”

And Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas said the journey portrayed by the player in the commercial was very similar to his experiences as a youngster at Arsenal. “For me all went very quickly and it´s the truth that it was an incredible experience, because I was playing as a substitute and here and there trained with the first team with players like Henry, Pires, Bergkamp. All these players who make you grow. It was just an incredible experience for me.”

Nike describe the commercial as follows.

To get to the next level in football, you need a fine-tuned combination of skill, physical fitness, mental toughness, emotional control, the best products and a bit of luck. This journey is the ultimate roller-coaster ride – it is not quick, pretty or easy and there are plenty of surprises along the way. You see what it takes to get discovered – what it takes to keep improving. You live the ups and downs, the glory and the sacrifice, the fun and insanity a modern footballer experiences on his journey up the ranks of the game.

The viewer quickly finds out that it is essential to adapt to every new situation technically, physically and mentally. The progression sees you meet constant challenges, work as part of a team, show ultimate commitment to training, be the victim of bad fouls, celebrate wins, be under pressure to deliver at critical match-deciding moments be humbled by other star players. The journey has some obvious advantages – glamorous evenings out with your beautiful girlfriend and adoring fans shouting your name and clambering for your autograph.

The story starts when you are spotted by Arsene Wenger at a non-league youth fixture after scoring the winning free-kick. You no longer hear about Arsenal’s results on the television – you are there – playing for the team – using the Player’s entrance. Cesc Fabregas kisses you in one match (a bit worrying) and screams at you in the next match (OK, that’s better).

You absorb the energy and emotion from passionate screaming fans who pack football stadiums when you play in the Manchester United v Arsenal clash in the English FA Premier League and you face teams such as Inter Milan and FC Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League.

You see first-hand the power of Wayne Rooney’s kick, the accuracy of Zlatan Ibrahimovich’s shot, Cristiano Ronaldo’s dazzling skills and incredible pace and Marco Materazzi’s man-marking. Ronaldinho smiles when he shakes your hand during the line-up at Camp Nou, but his spectacular dribble leaves you far from smiling.

The journey culminates in a dramatic Final between Holland and Portugal (right, I’m Dutch - no problem, I can do rock music and pretty girls). You are up against Cristiano Ronaldo once again. Your team-mates Ruud Van Nistlerooy and Wesley Schneijder play the ball into you and urge you to ‘Take It To The Next Level’ - even on this stage.

Director Guy Ritchie was obviously in his element during the shoot. He said “This is the largest advert I have filmed. Usually I do one commercial a year. Essentially this is like shooting a feature film on this one. So we spent a week in Barcelona, a couple of days up in Manchester. I think it’s 9 days overall which is long for a commercial.

“The footballers we’ve been working with were very nice fellas. Cristiano Ronaldo was a particularly nice chap. Also Ruud Van Nistelroy played football with my son for 20 minutes which made him very happy. They’ve all been very, very accommodating.”

Thanks to Nike, Footy Boots has obtained a sneak preview of the commercial so ahead of the debut showing, you can catch a glimpse right here.

Hot on the heels of the story we ran earlier this week on Footy Boots about Obafemi Martins allegedly switching from Nike to Adidas in a deal worth £1.7 per year, there’s news today that the Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has signed a multi million pound contract of his own with the German brand.

Cech, who kept a clean sheet against Liverpool in midweek in the Champions League semi final 1st leg, has put pen to paper on a deal worth £17.5 million over the next 5 years.

Cech will play wearing Predator Powerswerve Absolute boots and also Response Pro gloves specially embroided with his name. Adidas have also developed a protective padded helmet. Cech has been wearing a Canterbury made helmet since his horrific collision with Reading’s Stephen Hunt back in 2006 which left him requiring emergency surgery.

How that will affect Puma remains to be seen. They were always unhappy when Cech wore the Canterbury head gear when playing for the Czech national side which they sponsor. An Adidas version probably won’t improve their mood.

In addition to the Adidas deal, Cech has signed a one year extension to his existing deal with Samsung. As well as appearing in a campaign in his home country, he will also feature in an additional European TV and print advert, with three other Chelsea players for the Samsung 650 LCD TV. The commercial was filmed in March.

Earlier this month, it looked like Cech’s season was over when he received another bad injury during training. Defender Tal Ben-Haim accidentally caught him in the face and the resulting wound required 50 stitches. But the 25 year old made a dramatic recovery and was back in-between the sticks just a week later.

At Anfield on Tuesday, he produced 2 top quality saves to deny Fernando Torres, the second coming late in the game, moments before Chelsea scored their dramatic equalizer.

This weekend, it’s another big game for Cech and his team mates as they face Premier League leaders Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in a match that will go a long way in deciding the fate of the title.

Newcastle United striker Obafemi Martins might well be buying his team mates post training cuppas today. That is, if a story in today’s Sun newspaper in the UK turns out to be true.

It’s reported that the Newcastle United striker, who’s banged in 9 goals this season, just 3 behind leading scorer Michael Owen, is about to be rewarded with a huge contract from Adidas.

According to the story, Martins, who currently wears the Nike MV III’s , is in line to earn £1.7 million a year from the new Adidas deal. This would make it the richest ever boot contract for an African player, dwarfing the agreements of the likes of Didier Drobga, Samuel Eto’o, Michael Essien and the current African player of the year, Mali and Seville’s Freddy Kanoute.

The deal, if true, will surprise many in the industry as Martins’ English club side has struggled for much of the season whilst Nigeria aren’t exactly high profile at the moment after they endured a poor African Cup of Nations, going out in the quarter finals following a 2 – 1 loss to Ghana.

The last time we featured the Nike Total 90 Laser II it was just before the England friendly in France. Sadly Wayne Rooney and his new football boots were unable to inspire Fabio Capello’s men as they went down 1 – nil in a rather drab display in Paris.

The T90 Laser II football boots are now available on pre-order, with despatch dates of the 1st May, so we thought we’d refresh your minds on the T90 Laser II.

Order the T90 Laser II here

T90 Laser II

Nike specialists have been tinkering, working through those long winter Oregon nights, and have now come up with the latest evolution of the Total 90 Laser II which, as with the original, has an increased sweet spot that improves shooting and passing accuracy to help take your game,should you be playing in a multi storey car park, to the next level.

The football boot is built to ensure that mobility and power remain unmatched on field of play whilst providing unrivalled fit and comfort.

And they’ve received a ringing endorsement from Chelsea’s Florent Malouda:

It’s important for us that Nike has designed this boot with the objective of increasing the player’s accuracy and the power of shots because in high level football, that’s what makes the difference. And with the speed at which we’re playing, we’re always looking for maximum accuracy and the outcome of matches often depends upon it.”

High praise indeed from the ‘3 goals so far this season’ midfielder.

Tech Spec:

Integrated offset lacing system provides increased boot to ball contact surface, minimising uneven ball strike and allowing greater ball control, accuracy and swerve.

Revolutionary V-Twin lacing system maximizes strike zone and optimizes fit allowing the true fit of a traditional football boot, without compromising the contact zone for ball strike.

Improved Shotshield technology on front of foot provides cleaner ball contact and superior control to allow the athletes to place the ball more accurately. The technology continues to utilise the precision ring technology used in its predecessor, providing increased accuracy through refined placement and design.

Teijin synthetic leather and engineered mesh work together to help protect the foot and maintain a constant temperature environment throughout a full 90 minutes.

Water resistant eVENT membrane enhances breathability and keeps the foot dry.

New high density outsole component supports and stabilises the planted foot when striking the ball.

Individually engineered hybrid studs are positioned for optimal traction and comfort, distributing pressure evenly across the foot.

An engineered sockliner provides improved arch and heel support whilst it’s unique anatomical design leverages multiple material densities to help distribute pressure and provide a tailored fit and feel from heel to toe.

Improved external heel counter cup provides added stability and works in combination with a molded foam package to create a superior feet and heel lockdown.

As well as updating the Total 90 Laser II, Nike has also released some stunning new imagery of some of their players. Just like looking in a mirror we thought in the Footy Boots office, minus the talent and plus a few kilos of course.

We thought you’d like to see a few examples as well.

Order the T90 Laser II here

Cesc Fabregas will be starring in his very own TV show, creatively named The Cesc Fabregas Show.

The Cesc Fabregas Show

The show will look at the character and attributes of Fabregas off the football pitch and looks to be completely tongue in cheek. That’s opposed of course to the Philippe Senderos Show which is completely foot in mouth.

See a preview in the Footy Boots Video section.

The Arsenal player will take his audience on the journey of the life of Cesc Fabregas. The show will be a mix of football, comedy, there’s a Derby County gag there somewhere, and entertainment. And, just like the Gunners season, the show will come to complete standstill 3 weeks before the end of it’s planned run.

The one-hour ‘shot as live’ film in front of a studio audience, will include live interviews, football stunts and pre-shot sequences.

A host of stars from football will also appear, including Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and the scout (football scout, not woggle wearer) who first spotted Cesc Fabregas.

Our preview shows Fabregas in a fictional agent’s office (fictional being another word for honest) looking disgusted with his representative’s attempts to cheer him up with offers of houses, cars and even an Arsenal coloured helicopter!

See a preview in the Footy Boots Video section.

Commissioned by Fabregas’ football boots sponsor, Nike, The Cesc Fabregas Show is due for broadcast on May the 19th.

Nike have sued Adidas over a Chinese footballer’s endorsement contract in China.

Football boot brands Nike and Adidas have been in court battling over the contract of Zheng Zhi, the captain of China’s national football team and Charlton Athletic player.

Zheng Zhi

Zheng Zhi signed for Charlton from Shenzhen Ping’an on loan initially in December 2006 before making a brief return for Shenzhen Ping’an and then signing a permanent deal with Charlton in August 2007. In his home country, Zheng Zhi is considered the best Chinese player of his generation, making him a key target for Nike and Adidas to market their products in the country.

The argument between Nike and Adidas revolves around Zheng’s initial contract with Nike, which Nike feel was violated by the player and an approach from Adidas during the time when Zheng was contracted to Nike was immoral.

Nike Lawyer Fu Qiangguo:

Adidas contacted Zheng immorally though it knew clearly Zheng was sponsored by Nike. Adidas benefited the most from Zheng’s breach of contract. While Zheng, lured by the good pay Adidas offered, has also harmed Nike’s interest.

The Nike deal which expired at the end of last year, meant that Zheng would where Nike products whenever possible in public and that he would refrain from wearing other branded products.

Adidas approached Zheng in 2004 to become an ambassador for them, Zheng then asked Nike for an improved deal but it was allegedly refused. In court Nike used evidence to suggest Zheng wore Adidas products in 2005, which violated their agreement. Subsequently, Zheng asked to terminate his agreement with Nike and began promoting Adidas products.

Adidas responded to Nike’s concerns by stating that Zheng was not paid by Nike on time and that this broke their agreement. They also went on to state that the reason Zheng wore the Adidas products was, because he was at the time, on international duty and the national side is sponsored by Adidas.

The court have not yet reached a verdict on the matter.

Zheng Zhi wears the Adidas Predator Absolute football boots.

Having secured the services of Perry Groves amongst some intense competition from a number of other football web sites including www.didntheusedtobeaginger.com and the ever poular and respected www.groveswasbetterthanronaldinho.co.uk, Perry has been on the training ground for his first Footy Boots video boot report.

Over the course of the next few weeks, the former Arsenal star and now Sky Sports pundit, will be testing various football boots including the SprintFit, AdiPure, Tiempo Legend II, V1.08, and Nomis Glove.

Umbro SX Valor 

This week, the 1987 League Cup winner has been trialling the Umbro SX Valor, as worn by Chelsea and England’s John Terry.

Our Perry might not be at his ‘spring chicken’ best any more (in fact it’s more like Kentucky Fried Chicken these days) but his football brain is still as sharp as ever. Find out what he made of the SX Valor by watching here.

Theo Walcott was hoping his new Mercurial Vapor IV football boots would have brought him and Arsenal some luck when he wore them for the first time against Liverpool.

Arsenal and Liverpool went to battle on Saturday in the 2nd episode of their trilogy, the players were hoping that any minor advantage they could muster, would make the difference to the end result. As it happened, the game ended all square ARSENAL 1-1 LIVERPOOL.

Mercurial Vapor IV

Theo took a trip to the Nike ID studio with children from the Arsenal football club’s Kickz project, a trip that Robbie Keane made recently. The result, a newly designed Mercurial Vapor IV football boot. They even have Theo’s nickname on them, “Tiger”, named for his resemblance to US golf legend Tiger Woods, not a ‘pet name’ his girlfriend has for him.

What do you think to Theo’s new football boots?

Nike Super Ligera Football Boots

Here at Footy Boots, we rarely like to show off pictures of new unreleased football boots until they have been confirmed by the manufacturer. However the unofficial images of the Super Ligera have been going around the internet faster than Emanuel Eboue goes down after a tap on the ankle and as we’ve been asked repeatedly about the Super Ligera football boot - here you go!

Nike Super Ligera

Despite numerous attempts to contact Nike for the official company line, no-one had got back to Footy Boots by the time of publication.

Back in the spring of 2006, as we waited for Sven to lead England to World Cup glory (ahem) Footy Boots brought you the definitive list of boots worn by the England squad.

Two years on and with the cream of the Premier League about to be unleashed on the Parisian public, we thought it was high time to see how things have changed, particularly with the announcement of the new Nike Total 90 Laser II as worn by Wayne Rooney and the new colourways from Umbro for the SX Flare, Michael Owen’s football boot, and the SX Valor, the choice of defender John Terry.

So, after exhaustive research which involved at least 3 emails to a couple of mates with nothing better to do over Easter, here’s our guide to who’s wearing what in Fabio Capello’s 23 man squad to face France.

Of course, if you know better, we’d love to hear from you.

Goalkeepers

Paul Robinson - Nike T90 Laser White/Black/Charcoal

David James – Kelme (working with Kelme on the design of a new boot)
Robert Green - Umbro Speciali

Defenders

John Terry - Umbro SX Valor Red/White/Blue

Rio Ferdinand - Nike T90 Laser II
Ashley Cole - adidas F50.8 Tunit (contract) using Predator Absolute
Wes Brown - adidas Predator PowerSwerve TRX Black/White/Red
Joleon Lescott - adidas F50.7 Tunit II White Blue
Wayne Bridge – Puma King Exec - White/Black
Glen Johnson - adidas Predator Absolute Champions League Black/White/Zest
Jonathan Woodgate – adidas Predator Power Swerve TRX Black/White/Red

Midfielders

David Bentley - Puma V-Konstrukt II FG White/Silver/Insignia

Frank Lampard - adidas adiPure TRX White/Black
Joe Cole - Nike Air Legend II White/Black
Steven Gerrard - adidas Predator PowerSwerve TRX Black/White/Red
David Beckham - adidas Predator PowerSwerve TRX FG DB White/Gold
Stewart Downing - adidas F50.7 Tunit II Poppy Red
Gareth Barry - Umbro Speciali Italia Black/White/Red
Owen Hargreaves - Nike T90 Laser White/Black/Dark Charcoal

Forwards

Wayne Rooney - Nike T90 Laser II Black/Green

Michael Owen - Umbro SX Flare Red/White/Black

Peter Crouch - Puma V1.06 K-Leather Black
Theo Walcott - Nike Mercurial Vapor SL Orange Peel

(With thanks to Matthew Hannant)

Nike Total 90 Laser II - the 2nd incarnation of the popular Nike Football Boot

Order this football boot NOW

The T90 Laser II takes over from the hugely popular T90 Laser. Hugely popular both in terms of sales and interestingly, used by 35% of Premier League players - you don’t get a much better testimonial than that statistic…..

So what’s changed in the T90 Laser II?

Building on the success of the T90 Laser, the first football boot designed to enhance accuracy, the T90 Laser II improves on that design. Whether it’s a shot on goal or pinpoint passing, Nike insists that the new T90 Laser II can give you the tools to help you take your game to the next level.

Working closely with its stable of world-class athletes such as Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres, Nike has pushed the technological boundaries to improve accuracy even further, making even barn doors a target for us 40 + lardies. The precision rings that provided the T90 Laser football boot with the largest ‘sweet spot’ in football has been increased, improving shooting and accuracy, whilst the enhanced shotshield technology on the front of the boot provides cleaner ball contact and superior control.

When a player strikes the ball, a well planted foot is just as important as the striking football boot. After analysing the striking action (on the field that is, not French lorry drivers) Nike has integrated a new high density outsole component that supports and stabilises the planted foot when kicking the ball.

In addition, to ensure a solid foundation, the Total 90 Laser II boasts individually engineered hybrid studs that increase traction and comfort, providing not only better balance, but making you quicker on the pitch.

To arm a player with the most swerve, power and deadly accuracy, Nike has included an integrated V-twin (offset) lacing system that maximises the strike zone. The T90 Laser II also offers the player comfort and protection with a water resistant eVent membrane that enhances breathability and keeps the foot dry.

The new football boot is available to buy from May 1st and as well as Rooney and Torres, you can expect them to be worn by the likes of William Gallas (when he’s not having a blab) tonight’s England captain Rio Ferdinand, Florent Malouda and Fabio Cannavaro.

Players: Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, William Gallas, Florent Malouda, Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso

Price: £120

Availability: May 1st 2008

Colours: Black & Army Olive / White & Red

Order this football boot NOW 

One of the most famous deals in football may be in peril after it was revealed that Brazil is planning to renegotiate their existing agreement with Nike.

The president of the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer, Ricardo Teixeira has said that he will meet Nike representatives after the US company signed a deal with France worth nearly three time’s that of the five times World Cup winners. (Nike sponsor French football)

“When the contract with the sponsor was readjusted to $22 million per year, we agreed that we would again discuss a new contract when the sponsor added another country to the list of recipients,” said Teixeira. The president of Brazilian soccer claimed that he plans on meeting with the directors of Nike in the next couple of days.

Nike signed a deal with France that would pay more than $61.5 million per year to dress their national soccer team in their apparel. Teixeira stated that this information will serve as ammunition for his discussion with Nike. According to the president of Brazilian soccer, the deal signed for $22 million was made in March of 2007 and would come into effect in 2008.

The relationship between Brazil and Nike hasn’t always been a smooth one. Back in 1999, just 3 years after the original ground breaking $100 million deal had been signed between the two parties, it was clamed that Nike insisted that a clearly unfit Ronaldo should play a full part in a centenary game against Barcelona, one of 5 annual show piece matches that the contract allowed Nike to organise.

It was also suggested that the US sporting giant influenced Brazil’s team selection for the World Cup final in 1998 which they lost to hosts France. However, a Nike spokesman said at the time that “’Nike wants to emphasise that the reports of such involvement is absolutely false.” But that didn’t stop Ronaldo being hauled before Brazilian parliamentary investigators to be cross examined on Nike’s role within the national team. His performance in Brasillia was markedly better than his efforts in Paris particularly when he was asked who had been assigned to mark the French play maker and double goal scorer Zinedine Zidane. “I don’t remember” he said “but whoever it was, he didn’t do it very well.”

Back to today and Teixeira has hinted that he has been in contact with representatives from Adidas who were recently in Sao Paulo. However, he denied that Nike’s competition in athletic apparel went after the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer to seek any sort of deal. “The Brazilian soccer team is a world favourite. Everyone wants a piece of it,” said Teixeira.

Just how much they are willing to pay for it remains to be seen.

Nike Sports Research Lab

Footy Boots recently visited Nike’s World HQ in Portland, Oregon (USA) to take a behind the scenes look at the Nike Global Football Department. In our third and final part of the series we visit the Nike Sports Research Lab.

Read Part One of Footy Boots Nike FIS Series: The Nike Football Story: From Obscurity to Leadership 1994 - 2008
Read Part Two of Footy Boots Nike FIS Series: The Nike Football Boot Story

Part 3: Nike Sports Research Lab (SRL)

Never before opened to non Nike employees, Footy Boots was welcomed into Nike’s highly classified Sports Research Lab by Senior Researcher Erez Morag, the man responsible for putting the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alexandre Pato, and Ronaldinho, through their paces in the pursuit of creating the perfect football boot. The Sports Research Lab is a closely guarded secret in the football boot world, existing to help understand the needs of the athletes and the demands of the game to subsequently apply the acquired knowledge to the making of ground breaking, innovative football products.

Before Nike launches a new football boot to market, Erez and his staff will identify a range of critical skills for analysis in order to allow the football boot brand to create a boot for the individual player both at a professional and amateur level.

Initially, feedback will be gathered from players, doctors, researchers, and trainers, to determine which elements should be applied to the latest football boot model. The SRL will also conduct in depth analysis of player movements during football matches in order to understand the products that would most benefit a player throughout the full ninety minutes of a match. Erez’s studies found that the most frequent player movements during a match were acceleration (58%) and passing (20%). Nike will undertake a biomechanical analysis of its individual athletes on the training pitch and in the Sports Research Lab, allowing them to work both with and without the ball, to ascertain their own acceleration patterns and other typical game movements. Once Nike understands what the player wants and what the modern game demands, the new football boot will be tailored to suit. Certainly we can see in the construction of the Mercurial Vapor 4, the reduction of the overall weight of the boot through the use of lightweight carbon fibre and a streamline boot shape, combined with innovative traction concepts and functional plate characteristics to prevent foot slippage, allows the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Aaron Lennon to accelerate away from opposition defenders with relative ease.

As football boot consumers we demand the perfect product to help improve our game, often neglecting the behind the scenes work that goes into achieving the finished article. Following our visit to the SRL, Footy Boots found it highly refreshing to see at first hand the amount of analytical studies that Nike puts into perfecting each new football boot model, before it adorns the feet of the world’s leading footballers and Sunday league players alike.