Soccer Shoes Are As Important to the Game As the Game Itself

Soccer is one of the most competitive sports in theclassic black soccer boots were noticed in the 1920's.
world today. There are several aspects of soccerA few years later, the shoe industry was
that play an important role in deciding the winner andrevolutionized by the innovation of Adolf and Rudolf
this includes team performance, individual skills, soccerDassler. The brothers started the Dassler Brothers
training, and equipment like soccer shoes. Shoes forShoe Factory (Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik) in
Soccer have always been an integral factor when itHerzogenaurach in 1924. Adolf, also known as Adi had
comes to soccer skills and scoring goals. Of course,been making all types of sports shoes but he came
the shoes were initially designed to get a grip on theinto recognition when he persuaded US Sprinter Jesse
grass field and for hitting the ball hard.Owens to wear them. Jesse Owens won 4 gold
The first soccer footwear were black in color andmedals in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Later on, Adolf
had black cleats as well. Somehow the black colorwent ahead and created soccer shoes with
became the classic color for soccer cleats across thereplaceable cleats. The brothers split in 1947 with
world. Of course, now the colors of the cleats haveRudolph opening a firm called Ruda, which was
expanded from black to white, blue, green, orange,rebranded later as Puma. Adolf registered his
red, and other colors as well but the black soccercompany as adidas AG in 1949 and thus the story of
shoes and cleats are still considered a classic. Soclassic black soccer shoes came into being. During the
where and how did soccer footwear come into1966 FIFA World Cup, 75% of the soccer players
being?wore Adidas soccer cleats and that by all means was
The first historical evidence of soccer cleats wasa huge achievement for the company.
observed with the most unlikely player of all - KingSince then soccer shoes and cleats have been
Henry VIII. King Henry VIII ordered soccer bootsenhanced to a great degree making them integral to
from the Great Wardrobe and wore them duringthe overall performance of a player. There is more
football matches he played in 1526. The boots wornand more innovation involved in the soccer shoes of
by the King were made from leather and weretoday with companies trying to create lighter shoes
hand-stitched by the royal cordwainer, Corneliuswith flexible and controlling cleats. Some of the other
Johnson. Each pair of boots cost King Henry VIII fourtop names in manufacturing soccer shoes or cleats
shillings.include Reebok, Puma, Nike, Diadora, Umbro, Lotto,
Over the next 300 years, soccer slowly grew into aand Kelme. The soccer shoes of today are the best
popular sport and this paved the way for propersports weapon that any soccer player can have in
soccer shoes. According to historical records, the firsttheir armory!