Written by: Soccer Garage
From the 1954 original to the F50 worn by Lionel Messi in 2012, adidas has stood for quality in the world of soccer for more than 60 years. Adolf Dassler learned how to become a cobbler, following in the footsteps of his father and working with his brother to form a family business. The two brothers fought constantly, so keeping the adidas soccer shoes enterprise together in the early days was quite the challenge.
The two managed to team up long enough to offer shoes to the American track star Jesse Owens. He would go on to win four gold medals with those shoes, cementing the adidas brand in sports history for the first time. Here is a short profile of two of adidas’ most famous shoes.
adidas F50
The F50 range was first created in 2004, ahead of EURO 2004. Using these shoes, Christiano Rinaldo made a name for himself. The company took something of a leap with this line. The Nike Mercurial shoe was released at this time, and the F50 tried to borrow aerodynamic elements from the likes of the McLaren F1 supercar to compete. It was a boot designed for speed, with removable spikes so that players could get the perfect amount of traction depending on the turf they were playing upon. This boot began the trend of hiding the laces completely, which gives players a wider surface area to strike the ball with.
adidas Predator
The adidas predator was first launched in 1994, and it struck a fine balance between function and fashion. The shoe features “fins” that are designed to increase the strength of a strike. The idea was first proposed by Australian footballer Craig Johnston. Initial product tests confirmed what Johnston had thought. Players immediately saw increased control in the distance, power and swerve of their shots. Future iterations included a fold over the tongue to hide the knot of the laces, and a larger surface area to improve connection with the ball. Removable studs were introduced in 2000, and the design was changed to something more sleek and modern.
Final Thoughts
The shoes made by adidas have always been part of the lore of soccer, and the adidas story is fairly ingrained into the minds of footballers worldwide. The F50 and the Predator are two of adidas’ most well-known shoe lines, offering strikers better control over their shots.
Related Story: The Complete History of the adidas Predator
Related Story: Here are Things You Need During Soccer
From the 1954 original to the F50 worn by Lionel Messi in 2012, adidas has stood for quality in the world of soccer for more than 60 years. Adolf Dassler learned how to become a cobbler, following in the footsteps of his father and working with his brother to form a family business. The two brothers fought constantly, so keeping the adidas soccer shoes enterprise together in the early days was quite the challenge.
The two managed to team up long enough to offer shoes to the American track star Jesse Owens. He would go on to win four gold medals with those shoes, cementing the adidas brand in sports history for the first time. Here is a short profile of two of adidas’ most famous shoes.
adidas F50
The F50 range was first created in 2004, ahead of EURO 2004. Using these shoes, Christiano Rinaldo made a name for himself. The company took something of a leap with this line. The Nike Mercurial shoe was released at this time, and the F50 tried to borrow aerodynamic elements from the likes of the McLaren F1 supercar to compete. It was a boot designed for speed, with removable spikes so that players could get the perfect amount of traction depending on the turf they were playing upon. This boot began the trend of hiding the laces completely, which gives players a wider surface area to strike the ball with.
adidas Predator
The adidas predator was first launched in 1994, and it struck a fine balance between function and fashion. The shoe features “fins” that are designed to increase the strength of a strike. The idea was first proposed by Australian footballer Craig Johnston. Initial product tests confirmed what Johnston had thought. Players immediately saw increased control in the distance, power and swerve of their shots. Future iterations included a fold over the tongue to hide the knot of the laces, and a larger surface area to improve connection with the ball. Removable studs were introduced in 2000, and the design was changed to something more sleek and modern.
Final Thoughts
The shoes made by adidas have always been part of the lore of soccer, and the adidas story is fairly ingrained into the minds of footballers worldwide. The F50 and the Predator are two of adidas’ most well-known shoe lines, offering strikers better control over their shots.
Related Story: The Complete History of the adidas Predator
Related Story: Here are Things You Need During Soccer