The 99g adizero - SB @ The adidas Lab
We don't know what kind of cafeteria food they're feeding the designers at adidas HQ, but the three stripes are cooking up some crazy innovations like there's no tomorrow. Yesterday we spent the day at the #adidaslab in central London and having already heard rumours of a sub 100g football boot, were fairly excited.
If adidas were looking to get our attention they've succeeded. Is this boot a little too far on the wrong side of crazy? Possibly. But do we really care? No. Because this is how innovation is born. They've laid down the gauntlet for future speed boot design. Now it's over to Nike, Puma and the rest to see if they choose to accept the challenge.
The adizero f50 set the groundwork in lightweight football boot technology, but since arriving on the scene in 2010 the silo has stood relatively still...until now - or 2015 when this boot is due to drop. Sure they look like a broken metatarsal waiting to happen, but adidas get serious props for even considering a boot that weighs sub 100g.
Speaking exclusively to brains behind the invention, adidas Innovation Direction Antonio Zea explained to us some of the key innovations found within the boot. "In trying to create the ultimate speed boot, we had to think of every part of the boot in a new way. We used a textile (for the upper). Textile is light and it's thin but it also gives the look of being lightweight.
This boot is a statement by adidas. A "catch us if you can" message directed firmly in the direction of their American rivals. "We've created something phenomenal, something new, and something which has never been seen before. We have such a long history of innovation, and we're really leading the way from an innovation standpoint.
The 'adidas lab' is the first in a series of innovation events that will showcase adidas products of the past, present and future. Stay tuned for more revolutionary products from the adidas lab.
