Soccer- The Present
Soccer boots used to be made out of leather (which is heavy) and only comes in black. Nowadays soccer boots are getting more then 2 or more colors and it is getting lighter as the years pass. The soccer boot today has been revolutionised by using kangaroo skin (which has so far proven that it is light yet more durable then traditional materials) and new material which is incorporated to make the boot. There are new materials such as micro fibre and liquid rubber that are being used today.

Adidas are the leading brand in soccer boots (which have an astonishing three- quarters of all players wearing “the brand with three stripes” in the 2006 world cup) have come up with two new designs to further revolutionise the impact of which the soccer boots will have in the near futures game. They have come up with the “Predator Absolute” and the “+F50 TUNIT”. The Predator has the new “Power Pulse” technology and the new F50 has three interchangeable parts. This allows players to change the way the boot handles in different weather.

Nike has also chipped in with new materials for its soccer boots which consist of carbon for a “longer lasting boot”. Yet it is surprisingly light, it only weighs 196g.

The soccer ball has also been change. The old 32 panel soccer ball (which consist of hexagons and pentagons) has been changed to the new modernise 14 panel ball (which consist of propeller like shape). This makes the ball a lot “rounder” according to the makers of the ball Adidas. They have put the ball through intense testing to make sure the ball not only is rounder but also serves a purpose. The ball handles the wet exactly like it would when dry. The old soccer balls will absorb a lot of water when the weather is wet, up to 10% it’s on weight. This has changed the way players play and handle a wet game. This soccer ball has been used in the 2006 Germany world cup.

Soccer- The Future
Soccer in the future will have more and more improvement. More and more players will want to “customize” their soccer boots. There will be soccer boots “specially fitted” for certain players (though there is already now it is uncommon). There will also be more speacilised boot for certain positions on the field (for example wingers boots will get lighter and more focused on speed). There will be more symbols and words on players’ boots. Soccer balls will also get more durable and lighter. It will also be better performing.

Both Adidas and Nike will continue to pave the way for more technological advancements. Soccer boots will only get lighter and more durable. The boots will also have newer materials incorporated not only on the exterior skeleton but also on the inside of the boot. The boots will also aid in the skills of a footballer. As one writer said “if technology in soccer should be continued it will get to a time when certain boots would be designed in such a way that the ball would definitely enter the net no matter the direction the player kicks the ball with the boots”. So that shows that the future technology of soccer can be its on downfall. But the future does look bright for soccer.