Thesis

National
College
of
Art
and
Design

Faculty
of
Design

Industrial
Design

User
Needs:
The
Importance
of
Research
and
Innovation
in
Football
Boot
Design

Robert
Wylie

Submitted
to
the
faculty
of
Visual
Culture
in
candidacy
for
the
degree
of
B/des

(Hons)
in
Industrial
Design,
2015.

Table
of
Contents

Declaration
1

Acknowledgements
2

List
Of
Figures:
3

Introduction:
6

Chapter
1:
Football
Boots:
Current
Design
And
Branding
8

1.1
OVERVIEW
8

1.2
ADIDAS:
THE
REVOLUTION
9

1.3
THE
ADIDAS
PREDATOR:
THE
GAME
CHANGER
11

1.4
BRAND
IDENTITY
16

1.5
THE
FACTORS
IN
FOOTBALL
BOOTS
18

Chapter
2:
Researching
Users
Needs
21

2.1
INTRODUCTION
21

2.2
BAREFOOT
VS.
FOOTWEAR
TECHNOLOGIES’.
21

2.3
CASE
STUDY:
INSTITUTO
DE
BIOMECANICA
DE
VALENCIA
27

“ANALYSIS
OF
THE
HORIZONTAL
FORCES
IN
SOCCER
BOOT
STUDS
FOR
SPECIFIC
MOVEMENT”
–
J.C

GONZALEZ,
A.MARTINEZ,
J.
MONTERO,
S.
ALEMANY,
J.GAMEZ

2.4
INTERVIEWING/SURVEY
30

2.5
SUMMARY
44

Chapter
3:
Enhancing
Football
Boot
Design
-‐
Safer,
Stronger,
Powerfull
45

3.1
INTRODUCTION
45

3.2
IMPROVEMENTS
46

3.2.1
STUD
DESIGN
46

3.2.2
FORM
FOR
NATURAL
MOVEMENT
47

3.2.3
GRIP
AND
MATERIALS
49

3.3
FINAL
DESIGN
52

Conclusion
53

Appendices
55

Bibliography:
56

BOOKS:
56

WEBSITES:
56

ONLINE
JOURNALS/PDF’S
57

VIDEOS:
58

SURVEY:
58

Interviews:
59

Declaration

NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Faculty
of
Visual
Culture

I declare that this thesis is all my own work and that all sources
have been fully acknowledged.
Signed:
Date:

2

Acknowledgements

I
would
like
to
thank
Paul
Caffrey
(thesis
tutor)
for
guiding
me
and
giving
me
advice

during
the
writing
of
this
thesis.
I
would
also
like
to
thank
everyone
who
took
my

survey
and
in
particular
the
people
I
interviewed,
Sean
Hoare
of
St
Patricks
Athletic,

Gregory
Slogett
of
UCD
AFC,
Luke
O
Doherty
of
St
Oliver
Plunketts
Eoghan
Ruadh,

Shane
Boland
of
Castleknock
GAA
and
Dublin
Gaa,
Ken
O
Doherty
of
Crystal
Palace,

Huddersfield
Town
FC,
UCD
and
Shelbourne
FC,
Rebecca
O
Donnell
of
Dublin
Senior

Ladies
Football
Team,
James
Nolan
of
Lansdowne
RFC
and
Stephen
Duffy
of
Meath

minor
footballers
and
St
Kevins
Boys

3

List
of
Figures:

Figure
1:
Adidas
“world
cup”
football
boots.

Ted
Murtagh,
(2010),
Adidas
World
Cup
Football
Boots
[ONLINE].
Available
at:

http://www.tedmurtagh.ie/Adidas-‐World-‐Cup
[Accessed
26
December
14]
Page
10

Figure
2:
Craig
Johnson
and
his
“Patented
Integrated
Grip”
football
boot
prototype

Reuters,
(2008),
Craig
Johnson
[ONLINE].
Available
at:
http://www.design-‐
technology.info/inventors/page7.htm
[Accessed
26
December
14].
Page
12

Figure
3:
Range
of
Adidas
predator
football
boots
series
from
1994
(top
left)
to

2013
(bottom
right).

JoeDot.ie,
(2014),
Evolution
of
Adidas
Predator
[ONLINE].
Available
at:

http://www.joe.ie/uncategorized/gallery-‐the-‐evolution-‐of-‐the-‐adidas-‐
predator/347020
[Accessed
26
December
14].
Page
14

Figure
4:
Adidas
Predator
Mania
2002

ROBERTOMICHEL
SANTIAGO
REGALADO,
(2010),
Adidas
World
Cup
Football
Boots

[ONLINE].
Available
at:
http://www.metroflog.com/michel777/20101009
[Accessed

30
December
14]
Page
15

Figure
5:
David
Beckham
poster
advertisement
for
Adidas
Predator
Mania

The
Advertising
Archives,
(2002),
Its
my
mania
[ONLINE].
Available
at:

http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk/index.php?service=search&action=do_quick_
search&language=en&q=Adidas+Predator
[Accessed
30
December
14].
Page
18

Figure
6:
Gareth
Bale
training
wearing
the
first
edition
of
the
Adidas
F50
adizero

crazylight

(Yesilevskiy,
(2014)
adidas
announce
Crazylight
F50,
the
world's
lightest
football
boot

-‐
SBNation.com.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:

http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/3/17/5517494/adidas-‐announce-‐crazylight-‐
f50-‐the-‐worlds-‐lightest-‐football-‐boot.
[Accessed
01
January
2015].)
Page
20

Figure
7:
Analysis
of
forces
acting
upon
foot
during
3
types
of
running
styles,

barefoot
vs.
runners

(Lieberman,
D.L,
2010.
Foot
strike
patterns
and
collision
forces
in
habitually
barefoot

vs
shod
runners,
Running
Barefoot
or
in
Minimal
Footwear,
[Online].nature
463:

531-‐5,
1-‐6.
Available
at:

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/Nature2010_FootStrikePatternsandCo
llisionForces.pdf
[Accessed
01
January
2015].
Page
23

4

Figure
8:
Results
from
Institute
Technology
Valencia’s
experiment
on
football
boot

studs.

.”(Gonzalez,
J.
et
al
(n.d.).
“Analysis
of
the
horizontal
forces
in
soccer
boot
studs
for

specific
movement”.
1st
ed.
[ebook]
Valencia:
Staffordshire
University,
pp.1-‐2.

Available
at:
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/isb-‐fw/Abstracts/GONZALEZ_ANALYSIS_OF.pdf

[Accessed
21
Dec.
2014].)
Page
28

Figure
9:
First
question
from
survey

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

https://www.surveymonkey.com/summary/CgEwasq1xGz9IB_2Ful_2FStsCR0Am_2B
tzxtiEeZfVKUoup8_3D,
(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
31

Figure
10:
results
show
people
are
more
loyal
to
Adidas
over
other
major
brands

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
32

Figure
11:
Nike
Mercurial
Superfly

(Nike.
(2014).
Nike
Mercurial
Superfly.
Available:

http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/launch/2014-‐06/nike-‐mercurial-‐superfly.
Last

accessed
2nd
January
2015.).
Page
33

Figure
12:
Results
from
what
influences
people
to
buy
a
certain
type
of
football

boot

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
34

Figure
13
Interview
with
Sean
Hoare
of
St
Patricks
Athletic

(Wylie,
R,
January
3rd

2015,
Personal
Interview)
Page
36

Figure
14:
Nike
Tiempo
football
boots

Nike,
(2013),
Nike
Tiempo
[ONLINE].
Available
at:

http://www.nike.com/au/en_gb/c/football/stories/2013/01/nike-‐tiempo
[Accessed

02
January
15].
Page
37

Figure
15:
Results
of
what
types
of
boots
people
own

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
38

Figure
16:
Results
of
what
problems
people
thought
currently
exist
amongst

football
boots.

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
40

5

Figure
17:
Average
people
would
spend
on
a
pair
of
football
boots

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
41

Figure
18:
Poll
on
boots,
which
prevent
injuries
in
the
future

(Wylie,
R,
2014,
“Assessment
of
football
boots
and
consumers”,

(Accessed
30th

December
2014)
Page
43

Figure
19:
Side
view
of
boot
prototype
showing
3
sections
with
flex
areas
in

between.

(Wylie,
R,
2015)
Page
50

Figure
20
Top
view
of
boot
prototype

(Wylie,
R,
2015)
Page
51

Figure
21:
Front
flex
of
boot

(Wylie,
R,
2015)
Page
51

Figure
22:
Detailed
drawing
of
final
design

(Wylie,
R,
2015)
Page
52

6

Introduction:

This
thesis
examines
the
user
needs
of
football
boots
design
and
the
importance
of

research
and
innovation
in
fulfilling
these
needs.
Football
boots
are
not
only
worn
by

footballers,
Gaelic
footballers,
hurlers,
rugby
players
and
sometimes
hockey
players

also
wear
them.
So
each
sport
will
demand
slightly
different
needs
than
others.

What
I
wish
to
examine
is
how
differences
between
each
sport,
especially
gaelic

football
and
soccer,
require
different
user
needs
from
football
boots
and
what
types

of
boots
suit
different
types
of
players.
It
is
through
this
understanding
that
certain

similarities
may
arise
and
other
striking
differences
may
separate
the
two.
I
believe

that
this
can
be
done
through
good
research
and
new
innovative
thinking.
To

achieve
a
better
understanding
of
how
important
this
is,
I
interviewed
both
male
and

female
players
from
Gaelic
Football,
soccer
and
rugby
In
order
to
gain
first
hand

understanding
of
what
each
player
feels
the
need
from
their
football
boots.
I
also

released
a
survey
online
amongst
facebook
and
twitter
friends,
in
order
to
gain
an

understanding
from
the
general
public
who
play
sport
just
for
fun.
Between
these

results
is
how
I
set
about
answering
the
title
of
this
thesis.
My
secondary
research

which
consisted
of
online
journals,
books
from
NCAD
library
and
websites,
I
used
to

explore
into
the
more
factual
side
of
football
boot
design,
its
materials,
brand

culture
and
identity,
advances
in
boot
technology
and
current
research
cases
being

carried
out
to
help
improve
football
boot
design.
The
key
to
understanding
these

areas
in
order
to
answer
the
title
is
to
prove
that
perhaps
football
boots
cant
meet

the
needs
of
all
users,
and
if
so,
how
could
this
change?
Could
there
be
further

research
done
by
manufacturers
and
designers
to
accommodate
a
wider
field
of

7

sports
personnel.
As
a
designer
and
athlete,
this
is
what
I
set
out
to
prove

throughout
this
thesis
and
find
out
how
research
and
innovation
has
a
major
role
in

fulfilling
the
needs
of
the
user
in
football
boots.

8

Chapter:
1
Football
Boots:
Current
Design
and
Branding

1.1
Overview

This
section
examines
the
design
and
manufacture
of
football
boots
through
the

analysis
of
brands,
past/present
football
boot
designs
and
identifying
current
factors

in
designing
football
boots.
From
companies
like
Adidas,
and
revolutionary
designs

like
the
Adidas
Predator,
this
section
of
the
thesis
explores
how
they
made
a

contribution
to
the
football
world
and
how
creating
a
strong
brand
identity
had
an

impact
on
this.
The
way
this
is
done
is
looking
at
influential
designs
such
as
the

Adidas
Predator
and
how
this
portrays
how
good
research
and
innovative
thinking

helped
step
up
the
game
of
football
boot
design.

Finally,
this
section
begins
to
take

into
account
the
needs
of
the
user
through
observing
what
factors
are
most

prevalent
in
using
certain
football
boots.

The
football
boot
industry
is
a
very
tight
but
possibly
one
the
biggest
industries
in

the
world.
It
has
gotten
to
a
stage
where
single
brands
can
own
and
influence
a
team

and
its
players
with
these
said
players
not
being
allowed
to
play
unless
they
are

wearing
the
brand
that
owns
the
team,
for
example
as
stated
in
The
complete

History
of
footwear
design
by
Melvin
P.Cheskin

“To
influence
professional
teams,
money
was
a
necessity.
Mostly
shoe

companies
negotiated
with
entire
teams…
As
it
happens,
even
a
star

player
on
the
team
who
may
have
worn
brand
X
all
his
life
and
is
paid

independently
by
brand
X
and
plays
on
a
team
that
wears
brand
X
must

switch
to
Brand
Y
when
he
plays
for
his
National
team”
(Cheskin,
1987,

p.78).

9

Association
Football
as
we
know
it
today
was
founded
in
1863
(History
Of
Soccer!.

2014.
History
Of
Soccer!.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:
http://www.historyofsoccer.info.

[Accessed
30th
November
2014),
it
wasn’t
until
a
ban
was
lifted
that
players
playing

football
could
put
spikes
on
the
bottom
of
their
shoes
to
give
them
grip,
this
is

where
the
idea
of
the
football
boot
was
born.
As
time
went
on,
companies
such
as

Adidas,
Puma
and
Nike
were
born,
all
of
whom
brought
a
different
style
and
product

to
the
players
with
creations
such
as
the
“Adidas
Predator”
series
and
the
“Nike

Mercurial”.
What
is
fascinating
about
football
boots
is
how
they
are
designed
with

aiding
the
player’s
movement
on
grass
in
both
wet
and
dry
condition,
and
Astroturf.

For
each
of
the
3
scenarios
special
studs
must
be
worn
to
maximize
the
grip
of
the

user.
The
creation
of
the
football
boot
brings
up
an
interesting
argument,
does
it

really
support
the
users
needs
and
does
it
cause
more
injuries
than
it
prevents?
This

something
I
wish
to
prove
over
the
course
of
this
thesis,
in
particular
exploring

materials,
safety,
brand
identity
and
studies
of
particular
boots
and
injury
cases.

1.2
Adidas:
The
revolution

Adidas
is
one
of
the
world’s
biggest
sporting
brands.
Originally
founded
in

1924
under
the
name
“Dassler
brothers
shoe
factory”
by
Adi
and
Rudolf
Dassler.
All

shoes
were
handmade
by
the
brothers
in
their
mother’s
laundry
room,
which
had
no

access
to
power
supply
or
mechanical
equipment.

“
In
1925,
the
first
pair
of
track
and
field
sports
shoes
officially
launched.

Two
years
later,
the
brother’s
factory
was
producing
100
pairs
of
shoes
a

day.
They
were
ambitious
and
rented
their
first
real
factory.
In
the

10

famous
Amsterdam
Olympics,
Athletes
first
wore
specialized
pairs
of

sports
shoes
manufactured
by
the
Dasslers.
That
year
marked
the
birth

of
football
boots
with
small
cylindrical
spikes
on
the
soles”
(Yangjun,

2007
p.9)

After
the
war
the
brothers
split,
Adi
created
Adidas
and
Rudolf
created
PUMA.
Adi

chose
to
specialize
in
sports
such
as
hockey
and
football.
“In
1954
when
the
German

soccer
team
won
their
first
world
cup,
they
wore
the
revolutionary
football
shoes

with
screwed
in
spikes
those
football
boots
were
known
as
“the
world

champion””(Yangjun,
2007
p.11).

These
world
champion
boots
inspired
what
are
known
and
sold
today
in
retail
units

around
the
world
as
“World
cups”.
These
boots
are
classic
Adidas
and
employ
a

simple
iconic
style
of
all
black
with
the
famous
three
Adidas
stripes
along
the
side.

(Fig.
1)
Adidas
“world
cup”
football
boots.

Adidas
went
on
to
dominate
in
most
sporting
codes
especially
in
football,
with
most

teams
opting
to
wear
their
boot.
I
myself
am
a
loyal
Adidas
football
wearer,
as
I
own

11

a
pair
of
world
cup
boots

(fig.
1)
and
a
pair
of
Adidas
“Incurzas”.
Adidas
expanded

the
range
of
football
boots,
with
different
styles
and
forms.
Adidas
have
released

presently
and
in
the
past
some
revolutionary
designs
however,
in
my
opinion,
none

were
more
influential
than
the
Adidas
Predator.

1.3
The
Adidas
Predator:
The
Game
Changer

The
Adidas
Predator
was
designed
by
an
Australian
footballer
Craig
Johnson,
who

played
for
Liverpool
during
the
1980s.
Johnson
found
that
a
normal
football
boot
at

the
time
was
particularly
difficult
to
use
in
wet
conditions,
as
the
ball
was
harder
to

control.
He
decided
when
he
retired
to
go
about
fixing
this
problem
The
boots
back

then
were
primarily
made
from
just
leather
and
in
an
interview
with
redtouch
media

in
2013
Johnson
described
his
eureka
moment
as:

“Putting
a
ping
pong
bat
on
a
shoe”
(Red
Touch
Media.
(2013).
Craig

Johnston
Talks
Developing
the
Adidas
Predator
Boot.
[Online
Video].
31

August
2013.
Available
from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-‐wr-‐
SnelGnc.
[Accessed:
29
December
2014].
).

Johnson
tore
the
grip
off
a
ping-‐pong
bat
and
stuck
it
the
instep
of
his
football
boots.

He
then
took
his
boots
out
in
the
wet
and
started
kicking
the
ball
around.

Immediately
Johnson
new
he
had
created
something
magic.
From
this
eureka

moment
Johnson
spent
a
lot
of
his
time
and
money
developing
a
grip
which
he

called
P.I.G
(Patented
Integrated
Grip).
This
grip
was
attached
to
the
front
of
the

boot,
which
gave
the
player
grip
in
wet
conditions.
It
consisted
of
rubber
strips
that

12

wrapped
around
the
front
of
the
boot.
It
had
a
dimple
pattern
to
give
the
boot
more

grip.

(Fig.2)
Craig
Johnson
and
his
“Patented
Integrated
Grip”
football
boot
prototype

Satisfied
with
his
design
Johnson
then
approached
Adidas
who
after
seeing
the

process
he
had
gone
through
and
the
people
he
had
taken
it
to
(Franz
Beckenbaur

and
the
Bayern
Munich
football
team
in
Munich,
Germany),
Adidas
loved
this
idea

and
decided
to
develop
it
further.
They
experimented
with
materials
that
Johnson

had
used
such
as
rubber
and
plastics
to
come
up
with
the
best
solution.
This
product

was
unique
as
its
function
defined
it
forms
however
its
aesthetics
were
pretty

revolutionary
for
the
time
as
it
employed
curves
and
swooshes
to
emphasize
the

new
ability
that
this
could
enhance
the
players
chances
of
swerving
the
ball
when

using
this
boot.
It
took
on
the
traditional
Adidas
style,
the
three
stripes
along
the

side
of
the
boot.
The
fact
they
included
these
3
stripes
made
the
aesthetic
value
of

13

the
object
more
desirable
due
to
the
reputation
of
Adidas.
Colour
choice
was
also
a

big
factor.
Adidas
developed
different
colour
styles
and
patterns,
which
as
the

predator
series
developed,
the
colour
patterns
became
more
eccentric.
Ever
since
I

was
a
child
I
have
been
loyal
to
the
Adidas
brand,
especially
the
black,
red
and
white

colour
pattern
that
was
prominent
in
the
earlier
versions
of
the
Adidas
predator

range.
This
shows
my
brand
loyalty,
however
I
will
discuss
this
in
greater
detail
at
a

later
stage.
Eventually
the
Adidas
Predator
was
finally
released
to
the
world
of

football
in
1994.
It
implemented

“
rubber
patches
with
teeth
like
dimples
to
the
outside
of
the
boot
in

order
to
allow
the
wearer
to
apply
extra
spin
to
the
ball
when
passing

and
shooting”

(
The
history
of
football
boots.
2015.
The
history
of
football
boots.

[ONLINE]
Available
at:
http://www.ransacker.co.uk/football-‐
boots/advice/the-‐history-‐of-‐football-‐boots/.
[Accessed
02
January

2015].)
.

What
the
predator
made
revolutionary
was
the
idea
of
footwear
technology
in

football
boots.
This
inspired
competitors
such
as
Puma
and
Mizuno
to
develop
and

implement
their
own
footwear
technologies
such
as
Puma’s
Cell
technology
and

Mizuno’s
Wave
Technology.

14

(Fig.3)
Range
of
Adidas
predator
football
boots
series
from
1994
(top
left)
to
2013

(bottom
right).

“Mizuno,
one
of
the
leaders
in
the
field,
has
developed
what
it
calls

Wave
Technology,
based
on
biomechanical
principles.
Its
research

development
team
conducted
extensive
laboratory
tests
on
numerous

materials,
including
polyurethane
and
pebax”
(Byars,
1999,
p.112).

These
types
of
revolutionary
technologies
kick
started
a
massive
interest
in
human

movement
studies
and
gave
an
interesting
argument
into
the
idea
of
barefoot

running
vs
footwear
technologies.

15

(Fig.
4)
Adidas
Predator
Mania
2002

My
favourite
predators
by
far,
were
the
2002
Adidas
Predator
Mania
(pictured

above).
These
were
the
first
ever
Adidas
boots
I
had
worn
and
ever
since
I
played
my

first
game
in
these
I
have
been
loyal
to
Adidas.
What
was
so
appealing
to
myself
as
a

9
year
old
was
the
colour
combination.
Previously
before
this
I
had
owned
a
pair
of

puma
kings,
which
were
my
first
ever
boots.
These
were
just
your
typical
leather

boots
with
a
white
stripe
along
the
side.
Nothing
magical
about
the
design,
they

were
designed
simply
and
simple
was
the
design.
Then
came
the
Predator
Manias.

Even
the
name
was
fascinating.
Predator,
a
vicious
attacking
name.
Since
I
was
a

forward
and
dreamed
of
being
the
next
best
Irish
footballer
these
were
a
must
have

for
me.
They
lasted
me
2
years,
because
I
didn’t
want
to
let
go
of
them
and

eventually
my
feet
grew
out
of
them.
It
is
amazing
when
I
look
back
on
it
how
much

a
good
design
brought
the
simplest
of
little
joys
to
me
just
because
it
was
something

16

new.
I
am
sure
I
wasn’t
the
only
person
to
experience
that
joy.
In
my
opinion

throughout
all
the
variations
of
the
Adidas
Predator
series,
they
haven’t
come
close

to
replicating
something
as
good
as
the
Predator
Mania
and
in
my
opinion,
the
last

few
iterations
haven’t
been
appealing,
not
in
my
view
anyway.
Nonetheless
being

part
of
the
predator
series
I
have
still
found
myself
owning
a
pair!

1.4
Brand
Identity

“Every
interaction
with
customers
and
other
stakeholders
influences
and

adds
to
the
accruing
brand
equity
of
the
firm,
the
more
positive
the

customer
experience,
the
stronger
the
brand,
and
greater
is
the
positive

reputation
of
the
organization”(Vallester,
Adimbola,
2007,
p.343).

The
brand
of
a
company
is
“the
prefix,
the
qualifier
of
character”
(Pavitt,
2000,
p.16),

it
is
the
symbol
of
the
company,
what
it
represents
is
the
visual
language
of
a

product
and
thus
is
a
vital
part
of
any
good
product.
The
brand
can
rubber
stamp
a

product,
it’s
in
my
opinion,
almost
a
kind
of
seal
of
approval.
Just
like
any
other

product,
the
football
is
no
exception
to
having
a
“qualifier
of
character”.
Such
is
the

brand
that
is
Adidas;
I
myself
am
a
loyal
consumer
of
their
products
because
of
its

style,
and
the
visual
language
it
portrays.
Adidas
is
the
perfect
example
of
a
brand

and
it
has
a
wonderful
combination
of
a
trademark
logo
but
also
has
a
large
fan
base

that
knows
what
to
expect
from
them
and
have
a
positive
view
of
their
product

range.
Its
this
customer
loyalty
that
quantifies
the
meaning
of
a
successful
brand
in

my
opinion,
in
Jane
Pavitts
book
“Brand.New”
it
uses
coca
cola
as
a
good
metaphor

for
brand
loyalty
and
having
a
positive
relationship
with
customers.

17

“
If
coca
cola
were
to
lose
all
of
its
production-‐related
assets
in
a
disaster,

the
company
would
survive.
By
contrast,
if
all
customers
were
to

suddenly
have
a
sudden
lapse
of
memory
and
forget
everything
related

to
Coca
Cola
the
company
would
go
out
of
business”
(Pavitt,
2000,
p.78).

Specifically
this
entails
that
the
relationship
between
the
company
and
its
fans
is

vital
to
building
a
successful
brand.
How
does
this
happen
though?
In
my
opinion

this
is
a
result
of
a
company
working
hard
to
find
what
the
customers
want
and

listening
to
customer
feed
back
on
their
products.
For
example,
with
Adidas,
the

release
of
the
predator
series
was
something
that
grabbed
the
attention
of

footballers
around
the
world.
It
was
this
landmark
design
that
revolutionized
not

only
the
designs
of
football
boots
and
football
boot
technology,
but
also
the

company
as
a
whole.
If
it
wasn’t
for
Craig
Johnsons
(Figure
2)
P.I.G.
design,
Adidas

may
never
have
become
the
brand
that
it
is
today.
Adidas
in
my
opinion
symbolizes

modern
football,
as
a
kid
growing
up
in
the
90’s
I
was
around
for
the
revolution

years
of
a
brand
that
produced
some
of
the
greatest
football
boots,
endorsed
by
the

worlds
greatest
players
like
David
Beckham
and
Zinedine
Zidane.
Adidas
specified
on

designing
something
that
enhances
a
specific
skill
in
football,
like
swerving
the

football.
They
use
professional
footballers
to
endorse
the
new
product,
convincing

aspiring
footballers
that
they
too
can
be
like
their
idols
with
these
new
boots,
thus

selling
football
boots
by
the
millions.
In
summary,
the
products
over
time
will
come

and
go,
however
if
the
products
and
the
fans
relationship
with
those
products
are

put
at
number
1
priority,
the
brand
will
always
live
on

18

(Fig.
5)
David
Beckham
poster
advertisement
for
Adidas
Predator
Mania

1.5
The
Factors
in
Football
boots

Football
is
a
sport
that
requires
players
to
run,
jog,
walk
and
sprint
throughout
a

typical
game,
as
well
as
kicking
the
ball
in
various
weather
and
surface
conditions.
As

19

a
result
of
these
actions
the
footwear
that
each
player
chooses
to
wear
comes
under

a
serious
amount
of
force.
When
designing
the
boot,
designers
must
take
into

consideration:
traction,
permeability,
sole
wear,
material
durability,
weight,
comfort

and
style.
I
think
traction
is
vital
in
designing
footwear
in
general
because
any
slip
or

slight
obscure
movement
could
result
in
a
small
injury.
There
are
two
types
of

slippage
that
can
occur
when
using
shoes
in
general:

“
The
foot
can
slip
forward
or
sideways
upon
contact
with
the
surface,
or

it
can
slip
backward
during
the
push
off
phase”
(Cheskin
1987,
p.188).

This
becomes
more
of
a
risk
on
wet
surfaces
so
where
in
terms
of
football,
which
can

be
played
on
wet
or
dry
surfaces
traction
is
vital
in
insuring
that
the
player
can

sprint,
whilst
maintaining
balance,
remaining
on
their
feet
and
pivot
without
causing

harm
to
himself/herself.

In
terms
of
comfort,
boots
are
designed
in
different
styles

to
suit
different
players.
For
example
in
figure
1,
the
adidas
world
cups
are

traditionally
seen
as
boots
for
a
player
who
would
play
in
defence
or
midfield
due
to

the
simple
design
of
the
boot
and
the
fact
that
its
not
as
lightweight
as
other
football

boots.
Lightweight
boots
like
ones
produced
by
Nike
are
seen
as
boots
traditionally

for
speedy
players,
people
who
are
likely
to
play
on
the
wings
or
as
a
striker.
This
is

the
common
perception
of
different
types
of
boots
to
most
people
as
it’s
the
feeling

that
the
boots
give
them.
For
example
with
more
lightweight
boots,
these
are
often

given
to
professionals
who
would
typically
be
seen
as
speedy
players.
An
example
of

this
is
Welsh
international
and
Real
Madrid
winger
Gareth
Bale.
Bale
is
sponsored
by

Adidas
and
was
recently
chosen
to
wear
the
first
edition
of
Adidas’
new
F50
adizero

“crazylight’.
Gareth
was
quoted
as
saying,

“
Light
weight
boots
definitely
give
me
an
advantage
over
the

competition
and
I
feel
faster
and
more
agile
the
lighter
the
boots

20

become”
(Yesilevskiy,
M
(2014)
adidas
announce
Crazylight
F50,
the

world's
lightest
football
boot
-‐
SBNation.com.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:

http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/3/17/5517494/adidas-‐
announce-‐crazylight-‐f50-‐the-‐worlds-‐lightest-‐football-‐boot.
[Accessed
01

January
2015].)

This
shows
how
the
feeling
and
weight
of
football
boots
can
give
a
different

interpretation
for
different
types
of
players.

(Fig.6)
Gareth
Bale
training
wearing
the
first
edition
of
the
Adidas
F50
adizero

crazylight

Consequently
this
means
that
comfort,
weight,
performance
etc
all
have
a
different

meaning
to
different
types
of
players.
With
that
in
mind,
I
decided
to
find
out
more

about
what
factors
were
really
important
to
players
today
to
see
if
these
issues
were

actually
being
met
in
today’s
football
boots.

21

Chapter
2:
Researching
Users
needs

2.1
Introduction

This
section
is
about
identifying
key
research
that
could
be
influential
in
improving

football
boot
designs
and
also
observing
what
key
issues
arise
from
interviewing
and

surveying
players
from
different
sporting
backgrounds.
From
chapter
1,
it
was

identified
that
durability,
traxion,
comfort
etc
are
all
key
factors
in
football
boot

design.
With
this
in
mind,
I
wanted
to
find
out
first
hand
what
current
players
of
all

levels
and
sporting
backgrounds
had
to
say
about
current
football
boot
design.
This

was
done
through
firstly
through
observing
research
that
had
been
carried
out
on

natural
running
forms
and
on
surface
grip
traxion.
Secondly,
the
use
of
carrying
out

an
online
survey
amongst
players
of
all
sports
at
all
levels,
as
well
as
personally

interviewing
past
and
present
players
from
different
sporting
backgrounds
to
pin

point
exactly
what
players
are
expecting
from
football
boot
design.

2.2
Barefoot
vs.
Footwear
Technologies’.

Since
running
shoes
have
been
designed
there
has
been
an
ongoing
argument

amongst
scientist
and
footwear
designers
as
to
whether
or
not
running
shoes
are
the

best
way
to
facilitate
the
runner
or
not.
In
2010,
a
group
of
researchers
led
by
Daniel

Lieberman,
professor
of
human
evolutionary
biology
in
Harvard
University,
produced

a
study
on
“foot
strike
patterns
and
collision
forces
in
habitually
barefoot
vs
shod

runners”.
The
aim
was
to
prove
that
the
running
technique
of
a
person
wearing

22

runners
was
different
to
a
person
who
ran
barefoot,
which
put
them
at
a
greater
risk

to
injury
than
their
barefoot
counterpart.

“Here
we
show
that
habitually
barefoot
endurance
runners
often
land
on

the
fore
foot
(fore
foot
strike)
before
bringing
down
the
heel,
but
they

sometimes
land
with
a
flat
foot
(mid
foot
strike)
or,
less
often,
on
the

heel
(rear
foot
strike).
In
contrast,
habitually
shod
runners
mostly
rear

foot
strike,
facilitated
by
the
elevated
cushioned
heel
of
the
modern

running
shoe”
(Lieberman,
D.L,
2010.
Foot
strike
patterns
and
collision

forces
in
habitually
barefoot
vs
shod
runners
.
Running
Barefoot
or
in

Minimal
Footwear,
[Online].
nature
463:
531-‐5,
1-‐6.
Available
at:

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/Nature2010_FootStrikePat
ternsandCollisionForces.pdf
[Accessed
01
January
2015].

The
researchers
examined
that
people
who
run
with
regular
running
shoes
tended
to

strike
the
ground
with
their
heel,
which
as
a
result
of
the
cushioned
running
shoe,

wasn’t
noticeable
to
the
wearer.

23

(Fig.
7)
Analysis
of
forces
acting
upon
foot
during
3
types
of
running
styles,
barefoot

vs.
runners.

So,
as
figure
7
(above)
shows,
the
researchers
carried
out
tests
on
5
different

subjects
to
find
out
the
differences
between
running
barefoot
and
running
with

cushioned
running
shoes
on.
These
5
different
subject
were:

(a) Habitually
shod
athletes
from
the
USA

(b) Athletes
from
Rift
Valley
province
of
Kenya,
(Who
are
famous
for
endurance

running,
most
of
them
grew
up
running
barefoot,
however
compete
wearing

cushioned
shoes).

(c) US
runners
who
grew
up
with
runners
but
now
run
barefoot

(d) People
who
have
never
worn
shoes

24

(e) People
who
have
been
habitually
shod
their
whole
lives.

One
of
the
early
results
they
found
out
was
that
people
who
wore
predominantly

cushioned
running
shoes
tended
to
strike
the
ground
heel
first,
in
comparison
to
a

barefoot
runner
who
struck
the
ground
either
with
the
front
of
the
foot,
or
with
the

mid
foot,
depending
on
whether
or
not
they
had
falling
arches
or
not.
(flat

footedness
is
a
result
of
falling
arches,
something
I
myself
unfortunately
posses
and

require
special
foot
supports
in
my
shoes
to
combat
the
problem).
Striking
the
foot

with
the
heel
is
bad
habit
to
get
into
as
putting
that
much
pressure
on
the
heel
can

cause
injuries
to
muscles
in
the
leg.
Its
because
of
cushioned
shoes
that
striking

ground
with
heel
first
is
becoming
almost
a
bad
habit
in
humans.
As
Dr
Lieberman

was
quoted
saying
in
an
article
on
BBC
news
website

“
Striking
the
ground
with
the
heel
is
like
someone
hitting
your
heel
with

a
hammer
with
up
to
three
times
your
body
weight”
(Gill,
Victoria
(2010)

BBC
News
-‐
Shoes
may
have
changed
how
we
run.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/8483401.stm.
[Accessed
02
January

2015])
.

In
Lieberman’s
study,
results
showed
that
group
(a)
and
group
(e)
had
predominantly

RFS
(rear
foot
strike)
styles
of
running
when
wearing
runners
and
when
barefoot.
In

contrast
to
this,
groups
(b)
and
(d),
runners
who
had
grown
up
running

predominantly
barefoot
had
FFS
(front
foot
strike
e.g.
toe
heel
toe)
style
whilst

wearing
runners
and
running
barefoot.
These
results
are
fascinating
in
my
opinion
as

it
raises
the
question,
are
runners
actually
causing
more
injuries
than
they
are

preventing?
And
how
does
this
then
apply
to
football
boots?
Can
we
encourage

players
to
use
the
barefoot
running
style
in
a
way
that
could
prevent
injuries
such
as

cruciate
ligament
tears
and
sprained
ankles?
Speaking
to
BBC
news,
Dr
Jay
Stock,
an

25

evolutionary
biologist
from
the
University
of
Cambridge
in
the
UK,
commented
on
Dr

Lieberman’s
findings:

“
This
provides
compelling
evidence
that
modern
footwear
may
change

the
way
in
which
people
run,
and
in
turn,
cause
greater
stress
on
our

bodies”
(Gill,
Victoria
(2010)
BBC
News
-‐
Shoes
may
have
changed
how

we
run.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sci/tech/8483401.stm.
[Accessed
02
January

2015])

I
have
actually
had
a
personal
experience
with
this,
as
back
in
August
2014
whilst

playing
a
Gaelic
Football
match
for
Castleknock
Gaa
in
Clontarf,
I
jumped
up
in
the

air
to
catch
the
ball,
as
I
was
coming
down,
another
player
knocked
me
off
balance

and
as
a
result
I
landed
only
on
my
right
foot,
exactly
on
the
heel.
Subsequently,
as

soon
as
I
landed
on
the
ground,
I
had
the
most
searing
pain
in
my
heel,
running
up

the
whole
back
of
my
leg.
When
I
went
to
the
hospital,
it
turned
out
that
I
had
in

fact,
cracked
my
heel
due
to
the
level
of
force
I
had
put
on
it
(it
had
taken
the
force

of
my
entire
body
weight
and
then
taken
into
account
that
I
had
jumped
from
a

height).
So
personally
I
know
what
it
feels
like
for
the
heel
to
take
the
brunt
of
the

force
when
running.
There
are
a
number
of
factors
to
how
this
happened.
As
I

mentioned
earlier
im
flat
footed
which
means
when
I
run
normally
I
myself
would

run
with
a
mid
foot
strike.
The
boots
I
was
wearing
at
the
time
were
Adidas
world

cups
(figure
1).
These
boots
don’t
have
the
cushioned
heel
of
normal
running
shoes

so
as
a
result
when
I
landed,
there
was
just
the
studs
and
the
flat
bottom
of
the
boot

to
cushion
the
fall.
So
as
a
result
I
was
out
of
action
for
10
weeks,
no
running
or

walking.
A
combination
of
a
bad
running
technique
and
poor
support
in
the
boots

led
to
this
injury,
so
what
could
have
been
done
to
prevent
it?.
Well
the
most

obvious
ones
are
of
course
studying
my
running
technique
more
and
perfecting
it.
As

26

Dr
Lieberman’s
study
showed,
that
people
who
have
a
rear
foot
strike
when
running

are
more
susceptible
to
injury’s,
because
the
runners
are
designed
to
facilitate
and

lessen
the
impact
of
rear
foot
strike
running.

“A
major
factor
contributing
to
the
predominance
of
RFS
landings
in
shod

runners
is
the
cushioned
sole
of
most
modern
running
shoes,
which
is

thickest
below
the
heel,
orientating
the
sole
of
the
foot
so
as
to
have

about
5
degrees
less
dorsiflexion
than
does
the
dole
of
the
shoe,
and

allowing
a
runner
to
RFS
comfortably”
(Lieberman,
D.L,
2010.
Foot
strike

patterns
and
collision
forces
in
habitually
barefoot
vs.
shod
runners.

Running
Barefoot
or
in
Minimal
Footwear,
[Online].
nature
463:
531-‐5,
1-‐
6.
Available
at:

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/Nature2010_FootStrikePat
ternsandCollisionForces.pdf
[Accessed
01
January
2015]).

What
this
means
in
my
opinion
as
a
designer,
is
that
footwear
designers
need
to
look

into
how
we
approach
running
and
how
people’s
techniques
differ.
As
Dr

Lieberman’s
study
showed
is
that
people
who
have
grown
up
running
in
running

shoes
employ
a
far
more
dangerous
running
style,
in
exposing
themselves
to
harmful

injuries
than
people
who
run
barefoot.
This
is
something
I
would
like
to
see
brought

into
football
boot
design.
Although
there
is
a
lot
of
work
being
done
by
the
likes
of

Adidas
with
their
Adidas
Innovation
team,
who
look
at
the
performance
of
different

athletes
across
various
different
sports
and
see
how
the
shoes
they
have
designed

meet
the
challenge
of
various
tasks.
In
summary,
this
proves
that
there
is
a
direct

correlation
between
not
only
how
a
persons
running
style
can
put
them
at
greater

risk
to
injuries,
but
also
how
footwear
has
altered
the
way
in
which
people
running,

putting
them
at
greater
risk
to
suffering
an
injury.
This
implies
that
as
a
designer,
the

goal
should
be
to
lessen
this
risk
and
encourage
a
far
healthier
running
style.
The

way
this
can
be
done
is
through
greater
shoe
design
and
analysis
of
natural
running

27

movements
that
can
encourage
and
all
round
better
shoe
design.
This
is
something
I

would
bring
into
my
own
designs.

2.3
Case
Study:
Instituto
de
Biomecanica
de
Valencia

“Analysis
of
the
horizontal
forces
in
soccer
boot
studs
for
specific

movement”
–
J.C
Gonzalez,
A.Martinez,
J.
Montero,
S.
Alemany,
J.Gamez

As
I
discussed
earlier
in
the
previous
chapter,
the
importance
of
traction
in
football

boots
design
is
vital.
A
group
of
researchers
from
the
Institute
of
Biomechanics
in

Valencia
came
together
and
collaborated
on
a
study
about
the
horizontal
forces
that

occur
in
football
boots
while
in
use.
They
stated
in
the
research
paper
that:

“Studs
in
soccer
boots
are
the
elements
responsible
for
traction.
Secure

Traction
is
fundamental
for
rapid
acceleration
changes
of
direction
and

kicking.
The
goal
of
this
study
is
to
characterize
and
compare
horizontal

forces
in
individual
studs
during
different
soccer
specific
movements.
A

soccer
boot
with
13
studs
instrumented
with
strain
gauges
was

employed
for
measuring
forces
in
each
stud.
Maximum
forces
for
specific

studs
as
well
as
their
direction
were
obtained
for
five
common

movements
in
soccer.
The
results
obtained
with
this
study
give
valuable

information
for
the
design
of
soccer
boots
studs
from
a
biomechanical

point
of
view”(Gonzalez,
J.
et
al
(n.d.).
“Analysis
of
the
horizontal
forces

in
soccer
boot
studs
for
specific
movement”.
1st
ed.
[ebook]
Valencia:

Staffordshire
University,
pp.1-‐2.
Available
at:


[Accessed
21
Dec.
2014].)

As
stated
above,
this
is
a
case
study
on
a
group
of
researchers
from
the
institute
of

technology
in
Valencia
were
they
examined
forces
bestowed
upon
football
boots

stud
as
they
are
in
use
by
the
player.
As
we
all
know
playing
football
requires
a

whole
range
of
different
movements
which
are
performed
by
individuals
at
different

speeds
different
flexes
and
different
athletic
twists
and
turns.
What
fascinates
me

the
most
about
this
study
done
in
Valencia
is
how
crucial
understanding
forces
on

28

the
pivot
point
(the
studs)
of
the
football
point
is
crucial
for
designers
and
one
that

should
be
taken
into
high
consideration
when
designing
football
boots.

(Fig.
8)
Results
from
Institute
Technology
Valencia’s
experiment
on
football
boot

studs.

How
this
experiment
was
conducted
was
the
researchers
obtained
5
semi

professional
players
from
Spain
who
were
injury
free
at
the
time
of
the
experiment.

They
got
the
players
to
perform
5
common
movements
in
football
5
times

“These
movements
were
selected
because
they
are
frequently
related
to

the
most
typical
injuries
suffered
by
soccer
players
and
because
the

influence
of
the
studs
could
be
important
for
the
efficiency
of
the

action.”(Gonzalez,
J.
et
al
(n.d.).
“Analysis
of
the
horizontal
forces
in

soccer
boot
studs
for
specific
movement”.
1st
ed.
[ebook]
Valencia:

Staffordshire
University,
pp.1-‐2.
Available
at:


[Accessed
21
Dec.
2014].)

The
5
movements
they
performed
were:
inner
and
outer
zigzags,
inner
and
outer

turning,
and
starting
runs.
They
used
specific
MATLAB
analysis
software
with
strain

29

gauges
attached
to
each
stud
of
the
football
boot.
This
is
interesting
because
they

are
asking
the
question
of
how
stud
design
can
potentially
have
an
impact
on

specific
movements
performed
on
the
pitch.

The
results
of
this
experiment
showed
that
there
were
“significant”
differences

among
each
player
and
among
the
studs.

“The
outer
forward
studs
presented
the
higher
forces
and
time
of

actuation
during
the
movements
studied.
The
forces
in
the
rear
studs

were
very
low
in
the
majority
of
movements
being
limited
basically
to

the
heel
contact
in
the
zigzag
movement.
Except
for
the
starting,
two

phases
were
detected
in
the
other
movements
–
first
a
braking
force

followed
by
a
traction
effort.
The
most
forward
studs
(A
and
B)
were
the

last
in
applying
the
loads,
Indicating
that
the
order
was
dependent
on
the

movement”
(Gonzalez,
J.
et
al
(n.d.).
“Analysis
of
the
horizontal
forces
in

soccer
boot
studs
for
specific
movement”.
1st
ed.
[ebook]
Valencia:

Staffordshire
University,
pp.1-‐2.
Available
at:


[Accessed
21
Dec.
2014].)

So
basically
what
they
are
saying
here
is
the
placing
of
the
studs
on
the
bottom
of

the
boot
is
a
vital
in
its
performance.
Studs
positioned
in
specific
locations
around

the
bottom
of
the
boot
are
critical
in
insuring
the
safety
of
the
player
and
the

efficiency
in
its
performance
and
the
players
performance.
This
is
a
perfect
indicator

in
how
perhaps
certain
stud
materials
might
also
be
vital.
As
the
summary
in
the

diagram
above
says

“
this
suggests
the
existence
of
different
areas
of
actuation
that
will

require
diverse
design
parameters”.(Gonzalez,
J.
et
al
(n.d.).
“Analysis
of

the
horizontal
forces
in
soccer
boot
studs
for
specific
movement”.
1st
ed.

[ebook]
Valencia:
Staffordshire
University,
pp.1-‐2.
Available
at:


[Accessed
21
Dec.
2014].)

In
essence
this
study
is
very
interesting
as
it
suggest
that
perhaps
in
the
future
we

could
have
studs
that
follow
the
players
natural
movement
in
order
to
maximise
the

30

traction
of
the
player.
In
the
end
I
found
this
to
be
very
helpful
in
understanding
the

basic
science
behind
the
performance
of
studs
in
football
boots.
The
results
from

this
show
how
certain
research
focus
could
lead
to
better
innovation.
The
learning

outcome
from
this
study
is
something
I
wish
to
use
at
a
later
stage
in
this
thesis.

2.4
Interviewing/survey

To
find
out
current
problems
with
today’s
football
boots,
I
released
a
survey

amongst
my
Facebook
and
twitter
friends
and
encouraged
anyone
who
played
GAA,

Soccer,
Rugby,
Hockey,
American
football
or
Aussie
Rules
to
take
the
survey.
In
Total

95
participants
competed
the
survey
and
the
results
were
insightful.
At
first,

participants
were
asked
to
identify
what
the
main
sport
they
play
was.
43.16%
(41

people)
who
took
the
survey
played
Gaelic
Football
in
comparison
to
just
23.16%
(22

people)
who
played
soccer.

31

(Fig.9)
First
question
from
survey

The
majority
of
people
who
answered
the
survey
were
from
a
GAA
background.
This

raised
an
interesting
question.
If
football
boots
designed
by
Adidas
and
Nike
etc
are

designed
predominantly
around
problems
in
soccer
(football),
then
are
there

different
problems
that
need
to
be
addressed
in
GAA
that
current
football
boots

aren’t
addressing?
As
a
result
maybe
there
should
be
boots
that
are
specifically

designed
for
GAA
and
potentially
Rugby
as
well?.

32

(Fig.10)
results
show
people
are
more
loyal
to
Adidas
over
other
major
brands

With
these
questions
in
my
mind
I
set
about
analyzing
the
rest
of
the
data
from
the

survey.
I
began
to
analyze
the
factors
that
influenced
a
person
on
buying
a
specific

pair
of
boots.
It
turns
out,
that
besides
factors
such
as
style,
brand,
durability
and

performance,
people
chose
comfort
as
the
main
reason
for
purchasing
a
football

boot.
With
most
of
them
being
loyal
to
Adidas,
(66.32%),
I
wondered
what
the

difference
between
Adidas
and
Nike
boots
were
which
meant
comfort
was
a

defining
persuasion
in
purchasing
a
football
boot.
For
instance
at
Nike,
especially
the

Nike
mercurial
range,
the
boot
tends
to
wrap
around
the
foot,
a
kind
of
glove
like

feel
to
it.
Instead
of
traditional
leather,
which
is
used
in
some
Adidas
footwear,
Nike

opted
for
synthetic
materials
to
make
the
boot
more
light
weight.
This
lightweight

33

approach
wouldn’t
suit
a
player
in
Gaelic
Football
as
the
ball
is
heavier
and
the
game

is
more
physical.
With
the
majority
of
people
who
took
this
survey
being

predominantly
Gaelic
Football
players
I
can
understand
this
result.
However
just

because
a
boot
is
light
doesn’t
mean
it
is
perfect
as
even
soccer
players
need
to
be

protected
when
flying
into
challenges.
The
latest
boot
that
Nike
has
released
(Nike

Mercurial
Super
fly)
is
possibly
the
21st

Century’s
revolutionary
design,
just
as
the

Adidas
predator
was
in
the
20th

Century.

(Fig.11)
Nike
Mercurial
Superfly

“A
new
three
knit
weave
puts
less
material
between
the
foot
and
the
ball

to
enhance
players
touch
–
a
vital
element
when
operating
at
high

speeds”
(Nike.
(2014).
Nike
Mercurial
Superfly.
Available:

http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/launch/2014-‐06/nike-‐mercurial-‐
superfly.
Last
accessed
2nd
January
2015.).

This
boot
was
built
for
speed
and
touch,
as
the
last
quote
suggested.
Its
features
as

you
can
see
in
figure
11,
include
for
the
first
time,
a
weaved
sock
around
the
ankle.

This
is
to
give
the
player
extra
comfort
so
when
running
the
boot
feels
part
of
the

whole
foot.

34

(Fig.12)
Results
from
what
influences
people
to
buy
a
certain
type
of
football
boot

As
Figure
12
shows,
the
biggest
factor
for
choosing
a
certain
type
of
football
boot
is

its
comfort,
which
60%
(57
people)
voted
on.
This
is
interesting
as
earlier
in
the
first

35

chapter
I
talked
about
the
factors,
which
I
thought
were
the
most
important
in

football
boots.
Traction
was
my
number
1
most
important
factor
(which
was
under

performance
in
my
survey).
Comfort
is
something
that
comes
down
to
the
type
of

player
that
the
person
is.
For
example,
I
interviewed
a
number
of
past
and
present

players
from
football
(Soccer)
and
Gaelic
football
to
get
their
opinions
on
football

boots.
One
example
is
of
UCD
AFC
midfielder
Gregory
Slogett.
Gregory
said
that:

“I
wouldn’t
wear
Nike
Mercurial,
or
Nike
Hypervenom
boots
as
I
feel

they
don’t
suit
me
as
a
player,
but
I
would
wear
Nike
CTR360’s
or
Nike

Tiempos/Magista’s
as
they
offer
me
control
of
the
ball
and
aid
accurate

passing
where
as
the
Hypervenom’s
and
Mercurial’s
would
be
very
light

and
offer
speed.”(Wylie,
R,
January
2nd
,
2015,
personal
interview)

Clearly
this
demonstrates
in
my
opinion
how
different
boots
suiting
different
types

of
players,
with
professionals
like
Gareth
Bale
using
extremely
light
boots
because

his
style
of
play
relies
upon
speed
and
control,
while
in
Gregory’s
terms,
his
style
of

play
is
to
control
mid
field,
passing
the
ball
accurately
and
making
tackles
to
win

possession
around
the
middle
of
the
field.
This
is
something
that
is
certainly
a
trait
of

St
Patricks
Athletic
defender
Sean
Hoare.
Sean
is
a
reliable
defender,
meaning
he
is

on
the
pitch
to
put
in
big
tackles
and
disrupt
any
opposition
striker
from
scoring.

36

(Fig.13)
Interview
with
Sean
Hoare
of
St
Patricks
Athletic

Both
Sean
and
Gregory
play
in
the
League
of
Ireland,
which
is
the
best
standard
to

play
in
Ireland.
Both
are
similar
types
of
players
and
use
similar
football
boots
“Nike

37

Tiempos”.

(Fig.14)
Nike
Tiempo
football
boots

As
you
can
see
from
the
above
figure,
Nike
Tiempos
are
build
in
a
similar
way
to
the

Adidas
World
cups
in
the
first
chapter
(figure
1).
They
are
a
simple
boot
shape
made

from
leather,
with
a
few
touches
of
a
colour
in
the
laces,
tongue,
heel
and
sole
of
the

boot.
In
this
case
(figure
14)
it’s
black
leather
with
luminous
green
as
a
second

colour.
These
boots
are
built
to
protect
the
player’s
foot
(most
leather
football
boots

are)
however
both
players
have
received
injuries
during
their
careers
so
far.
Both

have
been
an
ankle
injury
of
some
sort,
which
Gregory
claims
was
a
combination
of

both
bad
pitch
and
the
boots
he
was
wearing
at
the
time:

“I
was
simply
changing
direction
quickly
to
defend
against
an
attacker

and
my
right
ankle
twisted
abruptly.
Whether
or
not
it
was
directly
to
do

with
the
boot
I
was
wearing
at
the
time
I’m
not
sure.
But
we
were

playing
on
astro
turf,
which
I
feel
across
the
football
world,
is
a
cause
of

far
more
injuries
than
grass.
I
believe
it
is
particularly
hard
on
the
knees

and
joints
in
the
leg
especially
when
turning
sharply”.
(Wylie,
R,
January

2nd
,
2015,
personal
interview)

38

It
is
this
combination
of
boots
and
surface
that
is
a
big
factor
in
the
injuries
sustained

by
players.
In
truth,
some
injuries
are
just
part
of
the
game,
like
a
player
putting
in
a

bad
tackle
which
causes
harm
to
the
other
player,
or
themselves.
Injuries
that
do

occur
on
the
pitch
due
to
the
motion
of
the
player
is
something
I
feel
is
a
strong

design
problem,
something

which
I
am
going
to
address
in
chapter
3.

To
find
out
more
on
types
of
studs
people
wear,
people
who
took
the
survey
were

asked
this
question:

(Fig.15)
Results
of
what
types
of
boots
people
own

39

For
this
question
people
were
allowed
to
pick
multiple
answers.
With
majority
of

people
who
took
the
survey
being
GAA
or
Soccer
players
the
results
I
received
were

not
surprising
to
me.
60%
of
participants
owned
a
pair
of
soft
ground
studs
while

61.05%
owned
a
pair
of
hard
ground
mouldys
(short
studs).
Which
meant
there
was

a
significant
amount
of
people
that
owned
both.
This
is
quite
common
amongst
GAA

players.
I
myself
own
a
pair
of
hard
ground
and
soft
ground
boots
because
I
feel
its

necessary
due
to
the
varying
conditions
of
the
ground
during
winter
and
summer.

One
of
my
teammates,
Shane
Boland,
is
a
Dublin
GAA
under
21
Gaelic
footballer.
He

is
used
to
playing
at
high
levels
of
intensity,
so
for
him,
boots
need
to
be
at
their
best

to
survive
the
wear
and
tear
he
puts
them
through
in
Gaelic
football
matches.
I

interviewed
him
with
the
same
questions
as
Sean
and
Gregory
as
a
comparison
to

show
what
similarities
and
differences
there
may
be
between
Gaelic
football
and

Soccer.
Shane
confirmed
similar
thought
processes
to
his
boot
purchase
decisions;

he
owns
2
pairs
of
boots
to
combat
hard
and
soft
ground,
adidas
Incurzas
(soft

ground
studs)
and
Adidas
World
Cups
(hard
ground
mouldy’s).
Shane
describes
that

for
Gaelic
football
he
needs
strong
boots,
boots
that
are
made
from
leather
both
for

“protection
and
comfort”
because
these
are
most
important.

“Wouldn’t
wear
something
like
Nike
as
there
too
light
for
my
sport,

would
have
to
be
Adidas
predators
because
of
the
actual
design
of
them,

both
looks
and
for
the
amount
of
leather
in
them.”(Wylie,
R,
December

24th
,
2014,
Personal
Interview)

In
essence
this
is
interesting
not
only
the
similarities
for
robust
boots
between
Shane

who
plays
Gaelic
football
and
Sean
and
Gregory
who
play
soccer
but
for
the
need
for

protection
of
the
foot,
something
that
seems
to
be
becoming
less
and
less
a
design

consideration
amongst
modern
football
boot
designs.

40

(Fig.16)
Results
of
what
problems
people
thought
currently
exist
amongst
football

boots.

The
view
for
protection
is
something
that
was
expressed
amongst
people
who
took

the
survey
as
well.
Among
other
answers
that
were
collected
were
that
modern

boots
are
too
lightweight
(something
I
established
earlier)
and
that
the
durability
of

them
are
not
good
enough.
Most
boots
rip
along
where
the
sole
of
the
boot
is

attached
to
the
main
body,
especially
near
the
toe
area,
as
this
is
the
area
that
is

constantly
bending
when
running.
As
quoted
in
figure
16,
one
of
the
participants
in

41

the
survey
expressed
this
view
“The
sides
often
tear
as
my
sport
involves
a
lot
of

sharp
turning”
and
another
said
“
Too
expensive
for
the
amount
of
time
you
get
out

of
them,
if
you
train
twice
a
week
and
have
matches
every
other
week
a
pair
lasts

less
than
a
season”.
This
is
true
as
figure
17
shows
that
majority
of
people
are
paying

between
€60
-‐
€80
on
one
pair
of
football
boots,
others
over
€100
euro,
so
for
this

price
you
would
expect
boots
to
be
perfect.

(Fig.17)
Average
people
would
spend
on
a
pair
of
football
boots

42

I
myself
would
spend
around
€100
euro
on
a
pair
of
football
boots
as
I
feel
cheaper

versions
don’t
give
you
the
same
level
of
protection.
Cheaper
versions
tend
to
be

made
from
plastic
and
don’t
have
rubber
or
leather
on
the
outside
of
the
boot
for

grip.
With
this
in
mind,
why
should
boot
manufacturers
like
Adidas
and
Nike
make

such
a
compromise?.
Obviously
they
want
to
offer
people
an
affordable
product.

However,
if
the
top
of
the
range
product
is
still
not
giving
players
the
level
of

protection
that
could
prevent
injury
then
why
do
people
pay
that
much
for
boots?.

For
me
it’s
the
feeling
of
wearing
a
leather
boot
versus
a
plastic
boot.
There
is

definitely
a
more
comfortable
feel
to
them
in
my
opinion.
In
hindsight
though,
if

there
was
a
boot
available
that
was
designed
to
combat
injury’s
like
ankle
ligament

and
knee
ligaments
from
players
movements
would
people
be
willing
to
change
to
a

boot
that
they
weren’t
familiar
to
for
the
sake
of
their
own
safety?

43

The
answer
to
this
question,
according
to
the
people
I
have
spoken
to
and
the

people
who
have
taken
the
survey
is
a
resounding
YES!

(Fig.18)
Pole
on
boots,
which
prevent
injuries
in
the
future

Just
close
to
half
the
people
who
took
the
survey
voted
that
they
would
be

interested
in
boots
that
could
prevent
ankle
or
knee
injuries
(47.37%).
This
view
was

expressed
enthusiastically
amongst
some
of
the
players
that
I
interviewed.
For

example
Rebecca
McDonnell
of
the
Dublin
Senior
Ladies
football
team
said

“
Yes
because
I
would
rather
have
extra
protection
in
a
game
than
just
wear
a

certain
boot
because
of
the
brand/style”(Wylie,
R,
January
4th

2015,
Personal

Interview).
In
contrast
to
this,
St
Patricks
Athletic
player
Sean
Hoare
said
“
Id
have
to

try
them
out
and
see
if
I
like
them.
But
it
would
be
a
very
good
idea
and
in
my

opinion
would
appeal
to
the
majority
of
footballers”(Wylie,
R,
January
3rd

2015,

44

Personal
Interview).
This
shows
how
seriously
players
are
taking
their
safety
and
the

level
of
trust
they
are
putting
into
their
chosen
footwear.
It
seems
that
this
safety

need
from
the
user
is
not
yet
fully
developed
in
football
boots
even
with
today’s

technologies.

2.5
Summary

In
summary
from
my
research
so
far,
there
is
a
clear
expectations
from
the
ordinary

and
professional
players
as
to
what
their
boots
should
provide.
Obviously
as
stated

earlier
comfort
is
a
huge
thing,
and
I
would
agree
that
majority
of
boots
do
provide
a

comfortable
fit
to
suit
all
players
no
matter
what
their
style
or
preference
in
weight

is.
However
with
this
comfort
there
is
a
cost.
Although
this
is
a
well-‐covered
area

there
is
still
some
major
issues
to
be
addressed.
Football
boots
are
seen
as
a

fashionable
item,
looks
and
style
are
of
number
one
importance
to
the
designer
and

the
player.
This
implies
that
the
look
of
the
boot
should
reflect
the
style
of
play
that

it
should
be
used
for.
This
is
fine
and
I
think
that
comfort
as
a
critical
need
is
being

met
from
current
designs..
However
there
is
a
big
question
mark
around
the

protection
side
of
things.
Its
seems
that
a
combination
of
boot
designs
and
bad

pitches
are
responsible
for
causing
most
ankle
and
knee
injury’s.
One
of
the
ways

this
is
done
is
through
factors
such
as
the
players
running
style
and
the
design
of
the

studs.
This
is
what
I
am
going
to
address
in
chapter
3
in
a
bid
to
tackle
these
issues
as

a
designer
and
find
out
if
this
can
be
resolved
through
my
designs.

45

Chapter
3
:
Enhancing
Football
Boot
Design
-‐
Safer,
Stronger,

Powerful

3.1
Introduction

To
begin
with,
as
established
in
chapter
2,
the
comfort
of
football
boots
in
today’s

market
is
meeting
the
demands
of
the
user.
However
the
protection
and
durability

aspects
are
not.
It
seems
that
footwear
technology
has
changed
the
motion
of

peoples
running
techniques,
encouraging
a
less
natural
running
style
by
landing
heel

first
in
stride.
This
change
in
style
has
risks.
The
current
emphasis
on
lightweight

designs
that
supports
speed
and
comfort
on
the
one
hand
creates
compromises
in

durability.
This
section
will
look
to
take
the
learning’s
from
Chapters
1
and
2
and

applying
this
into
a
new
design
to
address
three
areas
of
importance
to
football

players.

1,
Minimise
the
injury
issues
as
a
result
of
risky
running
styles.

2,
Improve
product
durability
without
compromising
comfort.

3.
Improve
kicking
performance,
a
key
consideration
for
a
footballer.

I
will
begin
by
sectioning
down
the
different
parts
of
the
boot
and
designing
a
whole

new
outlook
for
it,
based
on
the
research
I
have
taken.

I
will
then
take
the

components
together
to
create
a
“final
design”
which
this
thesis
is
based
upon.

46

3.2
Improvements

3.2.1
Stud
design

The
studs,
I
believe,
are
vital
in
providing
the
player
protection
from
injuries.
Due
to

all
the
different
types
of
movement
the
player
has
to
perform
in
a
typical
match,
the

studs
can
be
under
a
lot
of
pressure
to
provide
the
player
with
enough
grip
to

perform
the
various
movements
in
all
weather
conditions,
but
to
also
ensure
that

the
foot
moves
naturally
with
the
joints,
putting
he/she
at
less
risk
to
tearing

ligaments
or
twisting
an
ankle.
Lets
start
by
dissecting
the
shapes
of
various
studs

and
moulds.
For
a
start,
blades
used
to
be
considered
a
revolution
in
terms
of

football
boots
technology.
They
were
part
of
the
original
products
of
the
predator

series
and
added
this
new
curve
and
style
to
football
boots.
However
it
was
later

proved
that
this
shape
was
doing
the
player
more
harm
that
good.
For
a
start,
blades

were
actually
quite
sharp,
especially
the
metal
versions.
There
were
a
number
of

different
cases
shown,
(highlight
case
study)
where,
especially
in
young
kids

matches,
two
players
had
come
together
to
challenge
for
the
ball,
one
player
would

collide
with
the
other
players
boots
and
would
receive
a
nasty
gash
in
their
leg.
They

were
also
found
to
be
causing
a
lot
of
knee
and
ankle
ligament
injuries
as
they

tended
to
get
stuck
in
the
ground
easier
than
rounded
studs.
Craig
Johnson

described
that
since
the
invention
of
traxion
soles
and
blades,
people
are
becoming

more
at
risk
to
these
injuries

“You’ve
got
much
more
powerful
players
and
the
forces
coming
through

their
body
are
just
too
much
to
take,
so
what
happens
is
the
most

vulnerable
part
has
to
give,
which
is
usually
a
knee
ligament
or
the

metatarsals”
(Wayne
Rooney
-‐
News
&
Comment
-‐
Football
-‐
The

Independent.
[ONLINE]
Available
at:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-‐and-‐

47

comment/blades-‐of-‐gory-‐the-‐story-‐of-‐lethal-‐hybrid-‐boots-‐that-‐caused-‐
injury-‐to-‐wayne-‐rooney-‐8842663.html.
[Accessed
04
January
2015]).

What
I
am
proposing
is
that
since
most
studs
are
conical
shaped,
I
would
change
this

to
a
more
rounded
shape,
half
a
sphere.
This
would
allow
for
a
player
to
maybe
pivot

more
easily
on
their
studs
and
cause
less
of
a
risk
to
them
when
turning,
as
a
semi

spherical
shape
might
not
get
caught
as
easily
as
something
that
stabs
the
ground.

Something
that
was
learned
from
studying
the
research
done
in
Valencia
in
chapter

2,
is
that
the
number
of
studs
has
a
significant
impact
on
the
grip
of
the
boot.
The

fewer
studs
the
better
it
is
for
only
the
players
joints
but
for
the
grip
as
well.
Also

another
aspect
to
bare
in
mind
is
the
positioning
of
the
studs,
with
certain
stud

positions
being
more
effective
in
different
movements
than
others.
I
think
this
is
due

to
stud
shapes
being
long
and
conical.
Therefore
if
they
were
round
and
semi

spherical,
potentially
six
of
these
studs
could
be
a
safer
way
of
providing
the
user

with
grip.
Of
course
this
may
need
to
have
larger
rounded
semi
spherical
studs
for

winter
conditions
that
could
be
screwed
in.

3.2.2
form
for
natural
movement

As
discussed
in
chapter
2,
the
importance
of
a
persons
running
technique
has
had
a

significant
impact
on
the
risk
to
injuries
while
running.
Dr
Lieberman
claimed
that

running
shoe
technology
has
changed
the
way
humans
run,
opting
for
a
style
that

allows
them
to
run
with
their
heel
taking
most
of
the
impact.
This
impact
is

cushioned
by
the
running
shoe
they
are
wearing
because
of
the
design,
so
the

person
doesn’t
know
they
are
at
a
risk.
In
contrast
to
this
people
in
Kenya
who
are

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