HRP ForceShoe Evaluation

Athletic footwear

Selfies on your sneaks

Adidas plans to release a mobile app for the iPhone and Android that will allow consumers to customize and buy a pair of ZX Flux sneakers printed with an Instagram image that the customer uploads. The cost of the app and the shoes, as well as how exactly the app will work is not yet known.

Greenpeace study finds potentially hazardous chemicals in some World Cup products

Greenpeace Germany tested 33 items for hazardous chemicals and made to be sold inconjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. These included the official ball (adidas), boots, goalkeeper gloves sold by adidas, Nike, and Puma. Test results confirmed many of the products contained hazardous chemicals such as perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), nonylphenolethoxylates (NPEs), phthalates and dimethylformamide (DMF). All these substances have potential to cause harm to health. The investigation found 17 out of 21 football boots and half of the goalkeeper's gloves tested were found to contain ionic PFCs, such as the particularly dangerous PFOA. Adidas' "Predator" boot and Nike's "Tiempo" boot contained the highest levels of PFOA, the campaign group said, while a pair of adidas 'Predator' gloves were also said to contain levels of the substance in excess of the brand's own limits. The 'Brazuca' official World Cup ball was similarly found to contain NPEs, a substance that, when released into the environment, degrades to nonylphenol, a substance known to be toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms. NPEs were also found in over two thirds of boots and half of the gloves, indicating the widespread use of the chemical. Phthalates and DMF was detected in all 21 pairs of boots tested. DMF is used as a solvent in boot manufacture and is classed as harmful to reproduction and can also be damaging when in contact with skin. Greenpeace's Detox campaign has successfully convinced 20 companies, including high profile names such as Primark, Zara, Victoria's Secret, and H&M to make commitments to ditch various hazardous chemicals from their supply chains by 2020, a pledge Nike and adidas have also taken.

Puma Tricks?

Puma has unveiled the Tricks boot which will be worn by the likes of Mario Balotelli ( Milan and Italy ), Cesc Fàbregas (F C Barcelona and Spain ), Sergio Agüero (Manchester City and Argentina ), Marco Reus (Borussia Dormund and Germany), Radamel Falcao (AS Monaco FC and Colombia ), Olivier Giroud ( Arsenal and France ), Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus and Italy ) and Yaya Touré (Manchester City and Ivory Coast) at the FIFA World Cup Brazil Tricks is a colourful interpretation of Pumas’s evoPOWER and evoSPEED football boots, with the right boot in pink and the left boot in blue. The bi-colour boots symbolise power of the player and the will to win of ther supporters. As part of a new Puma campaign many of the best players on the planet will don one pink boot and one blue boot as they take to the field.

PUMA evoPOWER and evoSPEED Tricks Football Boots

A brief history of soccer boots

History of soccer boots from Cameron Kippen

Vibram withdraw health claims

Vibram makers of FiveFingers barefoot running shoes have agreed to a $3.75m (£2.2m) class-action settlement. The action was filed in 2012 by Vibram customers at odds’ with being misled by claims over the health benefits of the shoes. In a study of barefoot running shoes published in 2013 researchers found runners given Vibram's shoes were at greater risk of injury. The Vibram group had a significantly greater incidence of bone marrow edema after the training period, while neither group showed any soft tissue changes. The study found, and advised those wishing to transition to barefoot running to do so gradually. Vibram expressly denied and continues to deny any wrongdoing alleged in the Actions, and neither admits nor concedes any actual or potential fault, wrongdoing or liability. They have however as part of the settlement has agreed to remove claims that the shoes are effective in strengthening muscles or reducing injury. The settlement agreement is subject to court approval.