Sports Technology Review focussing on new sports technology and innovation world wide
Sports footwear
The bottom line – Reebok fined for poor marketing claims
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
2011 was an active year in the sporting goods industry, highlighted by the multitude of articles found on the this website. I’m confident that 2012 will see even more exciting articles published, and it is lining up to be an action packed year of sport ahead with the London Olympics no doubt being the pinnacle event on the horizon.
Looking back on the year just gone I believe the stand out headline of 2011 on the sports technology front was the huge $25 million fine imposed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Reebok. The fine was issued due to the advertising campaign for the Reebok ‘EasyTone’ shoe that was reported to improve muscle toning and strength in the leg and bottom region by astronomical margins. This is likely to be the first time in the sporting goods industry that such a phenomenal sum has been imposed for false advertising. I’m sure that the size of the fine was felt even at Reebok (owned by adidas AG, the second largest sporting goods brand in the world) and will send a strong message to the marketing driven sports goods industry that basing results and statistics on insignificant sample populations (in some cases one!) is not acceptable for ethical marketing campaigns.
The fine was large, but it was interesting to note that no such fines have been imposed anywhere else globally, the FTC are an independent agency accountable in the US only. This raises an important question for advertising legislation and management in the UK and the rest of the world. Why is the FTC the only body to have acted on Reebok’s global advertising campaign? On a much more positive note, it is hoped that the long term effect of this fine, is increased research and development funding at sporting goods companies. The message is clear; marketing has to be based on credible facts and figures rather than fantasy, which will incur associated time and resource costs.
Article by Jouni Ronkainen
Paralympian aided by customised footwear in Sports Technology Institute
Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
“It’s not about what I can’t do, it’s about what I can do.” Ben Rushgrove
Film introduced by John Edwards and Ben Rushgrove, with a Q&A after the film.
An inspirational documentary film by Dr John Edwards, Programme Director of The Sports Technology Course and Senior Lecturer in the Wolfson School at Loughborough. The film traces the battles of one of Britain’s leading Paralympic sprinters, Ben Rushgrove.
Following Ben’s story from birth to the Beijing Paralympics, and beyond to the World Championships in New Zealand, BEN is part of the current new wave of documentary films. It is an extraordinary insight into the world of one of Britain’s best hopes for London 2012, as he prepares with his tightly knit training group and their revolutionary coach.
Adidas five fingers shoes- AdiPure
Sunday, November 20th, 2011
With the great success of Vibram FiveFingers it was only going to be a matter of time before one of the big brands created a similar product. The Adidas AdiPure gets over the patent by changing its toe construction – perhaps?
Measure your feet using an iphone app before purchasing online
Thursday, August 18th, 2011
New iphone app to measure your feet before going online. Have a look!
Under Armour Metal Speed II Review
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
I purchased these boots prior to playing a 2 day Ultimate Frisbee tournament. This was the teams biggest tournament of the year and without any time to ‘wear’ them in, the boots needed to be comfortable and supporting whilst being waterproof and allowing efficient foot movement and control. There was no bigger stage for me to test the new boots, which largely fulfilled my expectations.
Moisture magnet and breathability
Keeping the foot cool and dry reduces weight and boosts total efficiency. Under Armour HeatGearTM technology has been placed in the upper and performance meshes throughout the shoe to speed up moisture transport and accelerate evaporation. This technology maintains a dry, light microclimate next to the skin, moving moisture away from the foot to the shoes exterior. The tongue is constructed from a highly breathable air mesh which helps accelerate moisture transport and enable ventilated comfort.
Dual Plate Technology
The dual plate design splits the outsole into two components to reduce bulk and complements the foots natural motion. It is claimed to maximise agility and minimise weight, through material reduction. The dual plate design keeps the foot low to the ground for precise moves and explosive acceleration. The insole boards disperse cleat pressure and bridge the space between heel and forefoot, ensuring lightweight mid-foot support and forefoot flexibility. The shoe has been engineered to propel the user forward and reduce the impact on the body.
Progressive Traction
Progressive traction reinvents the traditional round football stud, implementing a built-in directional blade at the base of each stud. The round portion penetrates the ground and maintains rotational capability, while the blade offers additional directional traction.
After wearing these boots for prolonged periods of game time over the course of two days, I can firmly say that I have no issues with comfort. The support and traction provided by the boot both when sprinting into a jump and making hard cuts seemed was second to none and there were no obvious cases of slipping or ankle turning. This is more so highlighted when taking into account the playing conditions I encountered. Following heavy periods of rain, the ground was very muddy and soft, conditions that worsened as the weekend progressed with more play and bad weather. In such conditions it wouldn’t be surprising for water to infiltrate the boot, however at the end of the weekends play this problem had never transpired, with the breathability and waterproofing of the shoe proving to be very successful.
Where I felt the downfall of the shoe came, was in its weight. The show was marketed as being very light, I however did not find this to be the case. The increased weight probably does help with the stability and structure of the boot, but I suspect that when running over dry hard ground the weight of the boot would severely affect the performance of the user.
Overall I feel the boot is very good and provides value for money. However I would suggest that this boot is best suited for use in winter where the ground can soft and muddy in unpredictable weather conditions. Levels of ankle support are high, and I would recommend the boot to a user that participates in a sport which requires jumping, cutting and pushing.
Article by James Jones
