Brice's Footy Collection....

Check out this boot collection...

From left to right we have the T90 Laser III, CTR360 II, Mercurial Vapor & new T90 IV

Blogger Note: Thanks Brice for the picture and for showing off your collection. 

The support means a lot and it is much appreciated.  

Behind the T90IV...

Interesting video with Nike designer that talks about the ideas/technology behind the newly released T90 IV.

Torres signed boots...

New Nike Boots for 2011

Nike is set to release their next wave of color ways for this spring. The different silo's include the super fly III, Tiempo Elite III, and the T90 Laser III. All boots will come in the regular version as well as the elite version which features the carbon fiber outsole. As a football fan i am pleased with the color choices for these different styles, however i can not help myself  but to look ahead to see what Nike has coming down the pipe for Fall 2011.

What are your opinions about the boots below?

Time Machine, evolution of the Total 90 series...

Air Zoom Total 90

As I take trip down memory lane you can see how the evolution of soccer boots with the use of new silos, new technology, and even in this example how a brand remade a silo due to a lack of sales and interest. The boot/silo and the company I am talking about is the Nike Total 90 series by Nike. In total there have been seven generations of the Total 90 boots, beginning with the Air Zoom Total 90, followed by the Air Zoom Total 90 II, Air Zoom Total 90 III, Total 90 Supremacy, Total 90 Laser, Total 90 Laser II and most recently the Total 90 Laser III.

Air Zoom Total 90 II

If you look back at the past Nike boots no other boot has gone through a transformation like that of the Total 90. The first Air Zoom Total 90 was introduced/marketed to market as a simple boot that featured asymmetric lacing, first touch coating and a synthetic upper was unlike any other boot on the market constructed for the workhorses on the team who had to run hard for 90 minutes.

Total 90 Supremacy

However, as time went by consumers were ready for a change and in 2000 Nike decided to rebrand the line. At this time Nike had a heritage boot (Tiempo) and a boot built for speed (Vapor) which both sold well and appealed to both old and young consumers. But in order to compete with adidas and the well established Predator Nike decided to make a product to help change a players game by developing a boot that would pack power, ball swerve, and ultimately allow/aid a player to put spin on the ball. I refer to this kind of technology/boot as a power boot in today’s soccer market. As a result Nike, created the Total 90 Laser and used Wayne Rooney as the star athlete to endorse the boot. The Laser unlike any other previous Total 90 boots featured a shot shield over the laces which increased the sweet spot and created a larger  platform that aided footballers to increase their power and accuracy in their shots. In addition, with the name Total 90, helped promote the what the boot was all about which was accuracy. In the end, with this silo Nike was able to rebrand a boot released for comfort and the 90 minute game and turned it into a game changer/power boot that would aid players and allow them to put the ball where ever they wanted.

T90 LASER: Game Changer/Power Boot

Total 90 Laser II

Looking at the where adidas is taking the once herald Predator, I believe Nike have a chance to create the ultimate power boot with their next release. Light weight boots are just a fad and as technology improves I believe power boots will appeal to consumers because on the pitch as an athlete we are all looking for technology to help us boot the ball in the net more often.

Laser III (Current Boot)

Man on the Pitch series...

During the coming weeks I will be writing a series of post regarding which boots you should wear depending on what position you call home on the pitch. The point of this series is to inform/help players both young and old who are looking to purchase new boots aid them in their quest. The positions I will look at are forwards, wingers, midfielder's, and defenders.

Man on the Pitch Series; Forwards

Depending on your style of play will depend on what boots you choose. Any boot will do but it depends on you as a player and what you feel comfortable playing in. Boots in today's soccer market can be labeled in three different categories which are heritage, speed, and power boots. If you look around at the worlds best strikers they are all wearing boots that suit their individual games. For example, if you are a power runner/bull dog like Wayne Rooney or Torres then maybe you will choose the the T90 which is a power boot. Or maybe your game is all about speed and flair like CR7 who endorses the Nike Mercurial SuperFly. Then in the middle of power and speed lies the heritage/classic boot category. For example,if you are the engine of the team and prefer simplicity on your boots like Frank Lampard or a Joe Cole then heritage boots might be right for you.

A list of the three different categories of boots:

Heritage: Nike Tiempo, adidas AdiPURE, adidas Copa, Umbro Speciali, Puma King
Speed: Nike Vapor, Nike SuperFly, adidas adiZERO, Puma SL, Umbro GT Pro
Power: Adidas Predator, Nike T90, Puma Power Cat,

The only way to see if any of these boots are right for you is to take a look at what kind of player you are and then make your way to your local boot shop and try on the boots to get a feel for how the boot fits your foot.

Looking for the Nike CTR 360? What category would you put it in, I am indifferent; caught between heritage and speed.

Im off the planet series: Post #1 by Footy guru:

Im off the planet series: Post #1 by Footy guru:

Over the next month, I will be creating a series of posts that are ideas of mine for certain soccer boots that I imagine building/ producing that I think would be a hit to consumers. These ideas are new, fresh and feature off the planet ideas. The ideas are my way of sharing my creativity along with my passion for football boots.

The story behind this series:
About a year ago I found myself in front of developers that make Nike football boots happen. The footwear product development team at Nike Football who takes ideas/sketches from marketing are in charge of building the boots you see on the elite pros and amateur players all over the world. What was I doing there? I was interviewing for an associate developer position within the soccer department which I thought/believed to be my dream job. In this interview, I broke down and reviewed various Nike boots and even came up with changes that they could make for certain boots to increase sales/profitability for each line. In fact, during this interview I presented my idea to put a carbon fiber base on the CTR to decrease the overall weight of the boot and make it more popular/profitable. It was at this point where i realized that i had a gift, and they later informed me that it was in the works. What do you know, the world cup is around the corner and the elite series is formed.


Furthermore, as the interview came to a close I was asked if I could create any boot what would I create and why?

My answer/idea for the Nike product development team:
I told the developers that I would create a hybrid boot between the CTR and the Total 90. The boot would combine the touch/comfort of the CTR with the power of the Total 90 series. With this boot I imagine a whole new technology in terms of where players using the boot would get their power and accuracy from. I would do away with the fins and plates like the current Total 90 model, which in my opinion is a dying boot that needs a revamp in terms of style and technology ASAP.

Furthermore, with this boot I would use the mold of the CTR for comfort but make the boot slip on so I could play around with different materials in order to make this boot a complete power boot, and not a market gimmick like the current T90 fins. Imagine the shape of a CTR that is sleek and is a slip on/features a hidden lace system, with a new upper/technology down the middle formed of a NEW hard rubber pattern similar to the first predator for an increase in surface area for a larger striking area that will aid in a players game to hit the target, improve accuracy/power.



In the end, I believe the combination of the two boots would compliment each other well and give Nike a new power boot.

What do you think Footy fans? Just wanted to share one of my crazy off the wall ideas. Will work on some sketches to show you more visually what the boot and concept could look like if developed.

Specs:
Name: Nike Vantage (subject to change)
Category: Power Line
Positions: forward, midfield,defender, and keeper
Upper: Kanga lite, synthetic/carbon fiber, and fly wire(instep, heel)
Outsole: lunar foam and carbon fiber
Weight: 9 oz.
Inspiration: Black Panther; sleek, strong, agile, and stealthy.
Details: Hybrid between CTR and Total 90 to form a new breed of power boot for team Nike.
Creator: Footy Guru

New Nike Boots for 2011

If you are looking for boots to start off 2011 Nike has you covered with news colors of all the boots that i really like. Sometimes less is more and i like how Nike has put some of the upper of the boots with black because i think black goes with everything. Be sure to order these boots at soccer.com or check out Soccer Fanatic that was voted the #1 soccer specialty store in the USA. Both of these sites you can order off line and has tons of sales for boots, gear and apparel.

What do you guys think about the colors or are you tired of the same old Nike boots?


PRE-ORDER ITEM (Estimated Ship Date: 1/1/2011)



PRE-ORDER ITEM (Estimated Ship Date: 1/1/2011)



PRE-ORDER ITEM (Estimated Ship Date: 1/1/2011)


PRE-ORDER ITEM (Estimated Ship Date: 1/1/2011)


PRE-ORDER ITEM (Estimated Ship Date: 2/1/2011)

2011 Boots!

WIN a T90 signed by Wayne Rooney!

Check out Four Four Two to win a signed Nike boot from Wayne Rooney. All you have to do is tell a soccer story/post a highlight and you can win the signed boot.