Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona - As World Cup fever begins, FIFA's World Player of the Year Leo Messi, together with Spanish player David Villa, helped adidas launch the F50 adiZero -- adidas' lightest-ever football boot, at a speed-themed event on 10 May at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
The revolutionary new boot, whose features rely on various types of polyurethane, weighs only 165 g - "the lightest and fastest adidas football boot ever made," said the company's press statement.
Argentinian Messi, who plays for Barcelona, will be the first player to wear the F50 in distinctive purple and white during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. "I am amazed at how light the new F50 is; I can barely feel them on my feet. Speed on the pitch is a really important part of my game and wearing the world's lightest boot will hopefully make me faster and enhance my performance during the most important games of the year!" said Messi, in the adidas statement.
The F50 adiZero incorporates what adidas calls "the industry's lightest fabrics and leading technologies to reach the 165 g weight." The boot was developed on a lightweight last which offers a wider footbed and heel to distribute forces optimally throughout the boot - a critical aspect in a lightweight product, says the sportswear expert.
The SprintSkin upper uses a single layer of microfibre polyurethane (PU) fabric to reduce weight and to ensure the shoe fits closely and comfortably. Asymmetric parallel lacing creates a large, clean kicking surface for optimal ball contact, according to adidas. The boot also has a perforated Ultra Light insole to reduce weight and increase speed.
Adidas says the adiZero's upper features an internal network of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) bands, with a single TPU bottom frame for stability and support in the lateral and medial movements.
The boot's outsole uses three-dimensional bridges to create stability and support in the midfoot. The studs are arranged in a triangular configuration which provides maximum acceleration and optimum support for the critical lateral and medial movements. "Football is not only about straight-line speed," adidas notes.
Eleven world cup players will wear the adidas F50 during this summer's World Cup in South Africa, starting June 11 2010, but it will also be available to the public, starting 24 May.
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