The iconic adidas Predator Lethal Zone boots made famous by the English football legend, were personalised by Beckham on the adidas customisation site www.miadidas.com.  Beckham has been wearing the synonymous range of adidas footwear since 1996 when he scored his famous goal against Wimbledon from the half way line.

Emboldened by the red, white & blue colours and the union flag of Great Britain, Beckham’s love for his country is the main inspiration for the design.

Every aspect of the boot has David’s personal touch.  As with all his boots the love for his family is ever present, featuring the initials of his wife Victoria and the names of his four children: Brooklyn; Romeo; Cruz and Harper. The boot also includes the shirts numbers from David’s playing career: 7, 23 and 32.

Commenting on his boots, David Beckham said: “This is truly a special moment for me and I’m happy that my longest serving partner, adidas was able to work with me to commemorate the moment.  What I really wanted to come across was the passion I had playing for my country and the pride that gave me.”

Beckham will wear the specially customised boots when he takes to the field in his last game ever against Brest tomorrow evening.

adidas today unveiled Nitrocharge, a brand new energy-retaining football boot designed for the next generation of footballer that follows the legacy and successes of the existing iconic predator, adipure & f50 ranges. Alongside the release of the new boot adidas has also launched an advert that unveils the footwear and highlights the sort of player it has been designed to be worn by.

The 60-second-long television campaign launched this evening (Thursday 16^th May) and will be screened throughout the world during key football matches over the next few weeks including the forthcoming UEFA Champions League Final in London.

The visually striking Nitrocharge is an evolution of adidas’ rich history in creating footwear to suit specific player types. Nitrocharge has energy retention at its heart and has been designed specifically for ‘The Engine’ player, a player type that has been researched and uncovered thanks to a recently formed partnership between adidas and Opta. ‘The Engine is first on the team sheet; always running, tackling and powering his team; he is relentless in his pursuit of chances from box-to-box for the full 90 minutes. This player is epitomised in the Nitrocharge adverts with high octane action, fast-paced effort and a no-nonsense attitude in order to outline the sort of player this boot has been designed for.

The Nitrocharge boot realises a range of new technologies that when combined will define the way ‘Engines’ play the beautiful game. These technologies include the following innovations:

• ENERGYSLING – supporting sidecut and turn movements to sharpen reactions on the pitch
• ENERGYPULSE – inspired by spring technology providing premium energy during the toe-off phase when sprinting

The boot also features a Protection mesh layer around the foot and Protection pads around the most sensitive tackle zones such as the Achilles tendon also feature in the boot. Finally the boot follows the full range of adidas boots by being compatible with the adidas miCoach SPEED_CELL.

The new Nitrocharge boot is available for purchase from June 2013 in blue beauty f10/ running white/ electricity and will be worn on-pitch by ‘Engine’ players Daniele De Rossi (A.S. Roma), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint Germain) and UEFA Champions League Finalist Javi Martinez (FC Bayern Munich).

For further information please visit adidas.com/football or go to facebook.com/adidasfootball or @adidasfootball on twitter to join the conversation.

His most recent boot, the Predator LZ was launched in a controversial pink/white/black colourway – which certainly divided opinons.

Also known as ‘golden balls’ its hardly a surprise that Beckham’s feet were gilded by the design team at Adidas on multiple occasions, originally with the Golden Predator Powerswerve

More recently, Adidas introduced the same Golden effect on his personal colourway of the Adipower Predator, set off with notes of red and black – which made this one of the most desirable colourways of the Adipower silo.

Red was a strong feature in both Beckham’s Boots and his career, having started his professional career at Manchester United, and subsequently playing at AC Milan and PSG – who both use red in their kits. Beckham’s Predator X design featured a strong white/red/black colourscheme that also featured a tribal design across the power element of the boot

But Beckham’s love of red was extended in the Predator X range, with adidas also launching a bright red version of the boot for Becks

During his time at Madrid, Adidas’ design team also cooked up a simple white and black Powerswerve colourway in a climacool pack – which was designed to combat the high temperatures he faced in the Spanish Capital.

Similarly, Adidas gave Beckham a White and black model of the predator Absolute to compliment Los Galacticos’ kit – which became iconic during his time at the club

Arguably, the Absolute range saw Beckham and Adidas work together more than any other silo of the Predator, with multiple colourways coming out, including this eye-catching blue/silver/red design, which saw Beckham experiment with tribal designs for the first time.

Beckham also played occasionally in an England inspired colourway of the boot – which was far more subtle than the blue model

Beckham also released a red and silver colourway of the boot – which also featured tribal patterns inspired by his own tattoos, which he proudly talked about in his autobiographies

For us though, Beckham’s most iconic predator designs were seen on the Predator Pulse, initially launching alongside the classic red and black, and white and gold colourways – Beckham launched his model with a unique white and blue colourscheme, that featured a thumb-print texture

Beckham then released a silver/silver/red version of the boot – which featured a more simple and classic design where the thumbprint was on his earlier model, although this colour was not Beckham Specific, Adidas did release a special limited run of boots which featured asymmetric colouring in a super limited edition to celebrate Beckham’s achievements

After that release, Adidas brought out a completely silver version of the boot, which featured an asian inspired dragon print across the boot

Research undertaken by adidas allowed each of the 203 goals which Lampard scored in adidas boots, to be plotted on a virtual 3D axis, allowing each goal to be pinpoint placed and showcase exactly where each goal was scored from.

Lampard today walked through his top 10 all-time goals, calling out classic moments such as his first Premier League goal for Chelsea at home to Bolton in 2001 and his record-breaking goal in last weekend’s game against Aston Villa  amongst the stand out goal scoring moments in his career.

The adidas installation is dedicated to Lampard goals and outstanding contribution to the club over the past 12 seasons, a truly iconic celebration of one of the best goalscorers in the world who has gone all in for his club and country over the past decade.

On Friday 17^th May, a short video feature on the making of the installation and Lampard’s own guide to his top ten goals will be released via adidas’ YouTube channel.

To see exclusive content from today’s event and to join the conversation around Lampard’s greatest ever goals follow @adidasUK #superfrank

The new evoSPEED 1.2 FG is designed to enable players reach top speed quickly without sacrificing stability or comfort. This is made possible through the use of light materials in combination with an internal midfoot support cage (EverFit cage) that maintains a good fit during all points of sprinting.  The outsole is reconfigured with smaller conical studs that give the player a better grip on the ground and enhances manoeuvrability on the pitch.  For optimal comfort, a minimised tongue and heel have been added, reducing pressure on the Achilles tendon whilst the sock liner distributes the foot’s pressure evenly.

Inspired by the shape of muscles, tendons and the smooth curves of a race car, the new boot features subtle black glossy graphics that round off the look of the more visible yellow prints. Finishing touches are the transparent dotted print on the vamp for better grip in wet conditions, and small details in fluorescent blue that complement the striking look.

Sergio Agüero commented after testing the finished boot, “I am always excited to wear a new boot.  After the v1.11 and the first evoSPEED, this is the third SPEED boot that I have worn and it is definitely the best.  PUMA’s boots are constantly improving and the innovations they create help me to perform better when I play.  I appreciate the fact that they incorporate my feedback when they develop new boots and I am delighted with this latest result.”

The new PUMA evoSPEED 1.2 FG football boots will be on pitch from today and available in-store globally from the 1^st of June 2013.

For more information, please visit www.puma.com/football

Adidas have given us a further instalment of their teasers ahead of a mysterious launch tomorrow afternoon

#theengine is a workhorse player, and we’ve already seen flashes of a potentially brand new boot

 

 

 

 

 

The Western Union Company (NYSE:WU), a leader in global payment services and Global Partner of the UEFA Europa League, and the Western Union Foundation, today announced they will collaborate with UNICEF, the world’s leading international children’s organization. Western Union’s PASS Initiative turns every successful pass in the UEFA Europa League competition into funding that supports education for young people around the world.

The PASS initiative is fronted by former international football star Patrick Vieira. It started during the Group Stage of the UEFA Europa League Season 2012/13, which kicked off on September 20, 2012. The season concludes May 15, 2013 with the UEFA Europa League Final 2013 between Chelsea FC and SL Benfica at the Amsterdam ArenA.

The PASS initiative is expected to run for the three years of Western Union’s sponsorship of the UEFA Europa League until 2015. Through the program, Western Union is committed to supporting education in select countries around the world.

The collaboration with UNICEF will initially focus on education programs in Nigeria, Jamaica and Turkey. Funding will support UNICEF projects including teacher training and curriculum development; financial literacy, vocational and life skills training for adolescents; school improvements; and more. The Western Union Foundation’s grant will enable UNICEF to scale these interventions, aiming to provide access to one million days of education for children.

On the evening of the UEFA Europa League Final 2013, Chelsea FC and Nigeria striker Victor Moses, who’s so far contributed 161 passes, said: “Western Union’s PASS initiative has done a great job in helping bring education to even the most under privileged countries, and I’ve been honored to be a part of such a fantastic campaign. The UEFA Europa League is a massive tournament and we’re all looking forward to what should be a great final”

“We are grateful for Western Union’s continued support of UNICEF. This expanded commitment to education will help UNICEF invest in training teachers, and provide vocational and life skills guidance to improve young people’s chances of completing school and successfully transition into the workplace as adults,” said Tim Hunter, International Fundraising Director at UNICEF. “We are proud to work with Western Union to help more children access a quality education and transform their lives.”
“Moving money for better is at the heart of what we do, and education is one of the main reasons our customers send money,” said Diane Scott, Executive Vice President, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Western Union, and a member of the Western Union Foundation Board of Directors. “PASS harnesses the power of football to raise awareness of unmet educational needs, and with UNICEF we can impact the lives of secondary school students around the world.”

“Where I come from, opportunities for a quality education are rare,” explained Vieira the former AS Cannes, AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Juventus FC, FC Internazionale Milano, Manchester City FC and French international player. Vieira is currently football development executive at Manchester City FC. “Football was my ticket to success, but for the vast majority of young people, education is the key that allows them to become whatever they want to be. That’s why I support this campaign. It will benefit students, teachers and schools in places like Senegal where I was born and lived until moving to France at the age of eight.”

In support of PASS, Western Union has been carrying out a marketing and communications program for its customers and UEFA Europa League fans from around the world. Fans can learn more at www.wu-pass.org or join the conversation on Twitter @wu_pass.

The shirt has a lowered white V-neck collar — also inspired by the 1980s kits — a black stripe print on the cuffs, and two side vents on the hem with a flash of black. The bold, bonded black tape at the bottom of the V-neck is a nod to Turin, home to Juventus and the industrial capital of Italy.

Inside the neck is a woven label featuring a shield with the club’s founding year of 1897. On the back of the shirt is the familiar black panel unique to Juventus to hold the players’ names and numbers.

The home shorts are black with a printed stripe along each side, while the socks are white with a black block on the back to give players greater visual acuity on the pitch.

The kit showcases Nike’s inherent belief in style, craft and strong aesthetics, while aiding the performance of players with key technological features.

RECYCLED POLYESTER

• The kit is made from recycled polyester in accord with Nike’s commitment to produce athletic wear with a low environmental impact. The shirt and shorts of each kit are made from up to thirteen recycled plastic water bottles.
• In the pioneering process plastic bottles are melted down to form yarn that is spun into recycled polyester, reducing energy consumption by up to 30 percent compared to manufacturing virgin polyester.
• Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than 1.1 billion plastic bottles from landfills through the use of recycled polyester.

FABRIC AND NIKE DRI-FIT

• The kit is made of fabric weighing just 150 grams, 23 percent lighter than previous Nike kits. It also boasts a 20 percent stronger knit structure and significantly improved stretch.
• The fabric is integrated with Nike Dri-FIT technology to draw sweat away from the body to keep players cool and dry.
• Updated and improved ventilation zones consisting of tiny laser-cut holes on both sides and across the entire back of the shirt, as well as at the shorts’ waistband allows more air inside the kit for additional comfort and cooling.

FIT AND CONSTRUCTION

• Nike embarked on an innovative program creating 3D body scans of some of the world’s leading footballers to produce a more athletic fit tailored to the contours of their bodies.
• It has been crafted with bonded T-bars at the junctions of the shirts to support the seams and inner welded seams with a clean finish to give a more striking appearance while also increasing comfort and performance.

As supporting partner of England’s FA Cup, Nike began supplying match balls for the semi-final fixtures and has produced a limited edition ball emblazoned with the team names and match date for the Final on 11^th May.  The partnership between Nike and The Football Association, the oldest football association in the world, was announced in September 2012.

Featuring design and performance innovation that offer superb responsiveness, touch and ball flight, the Nike Maxim is enhanced with Nike RaDaR (Rapid Decision and Response) technology, a lab and field-tested standard of visual performance that allows players to see the ball better and helps them make split-second, game-changing decisions.

To maximize first touch and distribution, five-layer ball construction guarantees optimal first touch while a 360° sweet spot provides consistent response off the foot. Aerodynamic textured casing called Geo II Balanced Technology delivers an accurate and powerful strike, no matter where you hit the ball.

Check out our review of the Maxim Match Ball here