NIKE UNVEIL TRACTION REVOLUTION

With many of the football boots we cover on In Bed With Maradona, the focus is on the colourways, the texture of the top of the boot, the laces and the pattern. One area which doesn't get as much focus as the rest of the boot is the underside of the boot. 

One company paying big attention to the underneath of the boot is Nike, who are revolutionising the underside of their boots. 

Uploaded by Nike Football on 2016-10-03.

“Nike Football has made more advancements in traction over the past two years than in the previous twenty.”

— Max Blau, VP Nike Football Footwear.

Using technology, science and Fine Element Analysis, Nike have been able to totally redefine their approach to traction. With obsession over detail, hours of testing and expert analysis, Nike have built the correct traction for every type of movement, play and player. 

Nike have built different traction for different types of surfaces, including artificial grass and firm ground. The biggest difference in traction for the two is the length of the stud (it is shorter on the AG) and the fact that the stud on the artificial grass boot is hallowed out. 

Traction has also been revamped for smaller sided games, including futsal, 6-a-side and more. Nike say that underfoot control is essential on these hard surfaces. “When we initially launched NikeFootballX for the small-sided game in 2015, all of the boots had the exact same traction pattern,” explains Blau. “Now we’re applying the same obsession with traction science across all Nike Football products.”