| Soccer players are gifted athletes with | | | | particular brand of boot, Pele and |
| physical strength and agility that would | | | | Eusebio performed at the world cup |
| put many other sportsmen and women to | | | | wearing Puma soccer shoes - however, |
| shame. The finely-tuned, committed | | | | shoe sponsorships would reach a much |
| professionals that we see playing in the | | | | larger scale in the 80s and 90s. Shoes |
| World Cup Finals and in leagues across | | | | become lighter and more supple, made |
| the globe have access to the most | | | | primarily from kangaroo skin and are |
| advanced designs of soccer shoe to | | | | designed specifically to accommodate |
| enhance their performance. Since the | | | | hard, firm and soft ground. |
| first ever pair of soccer shoes were | | | | The Copa Mondial, released by adidas in |
| produced for King Henry VIII in 1526 for | | | | 1979, went on to become the best-selling |
| a cost of four shillings, this vital | | | | soccer shoe with its synonymous |
| piece of a player's equipment has | | | | three-stripe design and fold-down |
| evolved into a multi-billion dollar | | | | tongue. The Puma King continued to sell |
| business. | | | | well as other sportswear companies |
| In the late 1800s, the heavier boot | | | | entered the market including Umbro, |
| style gradually became replaced with a | | | | Lotto and Diadora. But more was yet to |
| more lightweight shoe as the game | | | | come. |
| changed from hobby to sport. In 1891, a | | | | In 1994, adidas released the |
| revision to the Laws of the Game allowed | | | | much-anticipated, revolutionary adidas |
| projection on the soles of the shoe for | | | | Predator. This soccer shoe broke the |
| the first time. This pioneering move | | | | mould, almost literally, with its |
| introduced studs and saw the first | | | | 'polymer extrusions' and bladed studs. |
| incarnation of the modern-day soccer | | | | Designed by ex-Liverpool FC soccer |
| shoe. Weighing half a kilogram, this | | | | player Craig Johnston, the adidas |
| thick leather ankle boot would not offer | | | | Predator took the soccer shoe world by |
| the most flexibility but offered | | | | storm as it claimed to increase swerve |
| much-needed progression from the | | | | and power with the rubber moulds on the |
| steel-toe-capped work-boots. | | | | top of the boot. With player |
| The twentieth century saw a little | | | | endorsements from such global stars as |
| progress and various soccer shoe | | | | Zinedine Zidane, Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne |
| manufacturers starting mass-production | | | | and David Beckham, the brand continues |
| including Gola, Valsport and Hummel. In | | | | to develop and evolve the design with |
| Germany, the industrious Dassler | | | | such releases as the Predator Precision |
| brothers introduced the interchangeable | | | | (2000) and the Predator PowerSwerve |
| studs to give wearers the opportunity to | | | | (2007). |
| adapt to different playing surfaces and | | | | Nike were one of the last global |
| conditions. This developed further in | | | | super-brands to begin marketing its own |
| the 1950s when soccer shoes were | | | | soccer shoes but the company's designs |
| equipped with screw-in metal or plastic | | | | and player endorsements have forced Nike |
| studs. | | | | to the top of the soccer shoe ladder. |
| The Dassler brothers were to play an | | | | Nike Total 90s and Mercurial are their |
| even larger part in the evolution of the | | | | biggest selling designs and have been |
| soccer shoe then their previous work | | | | advertised by players of the ilk of |
| suggested. After a bitter dispute the | | | | Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo |
| two separated and went on to form Adidas | | | | and Wayne Rooney as well as Brazil |
| and Puma, now two of the leading names | | | | international Ronaldinho. |
| in soccer shoe manufacturing. In 1948 | | | | The turn of the millennium also saw the |
| when the brothers split their business, | | | | introduction of soccer shoes of various |
| Adi Dassler formally registered Adidas | | | | colours, with players often wearing |
| while Rudolph Dassler's company would | | | | designs that were colour coordinated |
| become Puma. These two companies were to | | | | with their team's uniform. Various new |
| become massive soccer shoe manufacturers | | | | designs have also been launched |
| producing classic designs like the | | | | including the Craig Johnston P.I.G |
| adidas Copa Mondial (1979) and the Puma | | | | (Patented Interactive Grip) and the |
| King (1968). | | | | Lotto Zero Gravity laceless shoe but |
| The 1960s and 1970s brought | | | | none has yet to make the impact of the |
| international superstars like Pele, | | | | Predator. However, it will only be a |
| George Best and Eusebio to the world's | | | | matter of time before a new style takes |
| attention - so soccer shoes evolved to | | | | the world by storm, and the soccer shoe |
| accommodate the increasing pace and | | | | that Henry VIII ordered in 1526 becomes |
| skill with which the sport was being | | | | an even-more distant memory. |
| played. Players began wearing a | | | | |