The future of football boots

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The football boots of the future will be individually designed and fully customisable with outsoles that mirror the contours of the foot and revolutionary snap-off studs that will help make metatarsal injuries a thing of the past.

Leading boot expert, Greg Lever-O'Keefe, who has worked in the football boot design industry for over 10 years, revealed his vision of the future to football boot web site www.Footy-Boots.com.

By the 2018 World Cup, Lever-O'Keefe claims:

Retail environments will begin to install running machines manned by highly trained staff and in some cases podiatrists and sports biomechanics. Force distribution data will allow the expert to assess what outsole is best suited while looking for key things such as pronation, supination, or differences in leg length.

Customised in-socks like the ski boot industry which offers in-socks which are thermoset to the 3D contour of the foot.

By 2018 the use of rapid manufacturing machines will allow us to fix studs in very specific areas based on the athlete's foot type, running style and loading pattern using 3D scanning. These studs could be tuned to help prevent metatarsal injury or designed to snap off under extreme rotational forces to alleviate knee injuries.

The consumer will become a co-designer - not only for veneering exercises but also for tailored function. Buying boots in the future may include bespoke, personalised fitting including 3D laser scanning of the feet and legs. Boot testing using force distribution software coupled with expert evaluation. Selection of the best outsole with added adaption's (e.g. expanded toe box), fully customised with colours and aesthetics.

Outsoles will be contoured to the foot, adapting more and utilising technology from running shoes.

Stud size, shape and positioning will become a freedom of choice for the consumer. Further products will become environment sensitive and able to adapt to the environment they are within. Studs will have the ability to tune themselves to the surface under the foot helping offset forces as an example.