How Adidas Got Its Name!

I found this pretty cool article, you may not know this but:

"Many people believe that "Adidas" is an acronym for "All Day I Dream About Soccer," but the real origins of the name are decidedly less sporty. "Adidas" is a portmanteau of the name of Adi Dassler, the German businessman who started the company in 1949. Before starting Adidas, Dassler had been in the shoe business with his brother Rudi, and together the brothers made the shoes Jesse Owens wore for his triumph at the 1936 Olympics. In 1948, though, Adi and Rudi split to go take on their own projects. Adi's Adidas obviously flourished, but Rudi didn't do too badly for himself by starting a little shoe company he called Puma."

For more check out this article compliments of the Wall Street Journal.

Puma King XL 40th Anniversary Edition

The introduction of the original Puma King cleat came in 1968, 40 years ago, and today it is still one of the most popular cleats around, standing the test of time. The cleat was introduced in 1968 in honor of the great Eusebio, the legendary Portuguese international (he was born in Mozambique) who at the 1966 World Cup scored 9 goals. Eusebio was part of the development team that created the Puma King cleat.

Over the years, the King became synonymous with soccer players around the world and was worn by legends including Brazil’s Pele, Argentina’s Maradona and Dutch maestro Johan Cruyff.

This year’s special limited edition 40th year anniversary edition comes in a red color. The newest addition to Puma’s range retains its classic lines and traditional styling, but it has updated materials, enhanced features and some new design details. Super-soft, ultra-thin full-grain leather is complemented by a high-density silicon heel counter and conical firm ground stud construction for optimal stability and maneuverability.

Reviews about the cleats have been very positive. Great feel and touch are the main reactions of players wearing the cleats. Puma are renowned for the comfort of their cleats, and from wearing the v-Konstruct II personally I would agree with the comfort level of Puma Cleats. Also, by purchasing at the right place, you are also given a really nice shoe bag that contains a shoe brush and polish. Worth watching out for!

My favorite feature of the cleat is the tongue, where the cleats 40 years, 1969 to 2008, is stitched on.

Newest Released Cleats Review

So what are the newest cleats on the market? Here is a look at what pro's in England and Europe are taking to the field.

Patrice Evra debuted the new Black/Orange Blaze Mettalic Silver Nike Total 90 Laser II. This is the newest color release of the Laser II series. The cleat that is most worn in the English Premiership, has an innovative front panel called the Shotshield system, which increases the 'sweet spot' area.

Others to wear the cleat include Evra's team mates Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, Liverpool's Fernando Torres, and Real Madrid's Wesley Sneijder.
Check out the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmcl2qq85Vs

Designed for speed, the new Puma V1.08 was released for the start of the 2008/09 season. The newest version is available in a black/white/olympian blue. The lacing in these cleats is off center, allowing for a better distribution of of pressure on ball impact.

These cleats are worn by Tottenham's David Bentley, Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka and Mauro Cameronesi of Juventus.
Check out the commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nty9NVINL_4

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Michael Owen is the center piece of Umbro range of cleats, and their 2008/09 release the Umbro Speciali Anatomical has aided with Owen's goalscoring this season. With Newcastle struggling at the bottom of the table, Owen has continued to score goals! The laces on this cleats are shorter than on normal cleats, allowing for a better striking area.

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The Reebok Sprintfit Lite Pro have just been released onto the market in this gold/red/black design. It follows the success of the Reebok Sprintfit cleat, and these new cleats own the title of Reebok's lightest cleat available on the market currently. These cleats are perfect for the speedy player who looks to dribble fast with the ball close to their feet.

These cleats will be debuted by both Thierry Henry of Barcelona, and Manchester United's Ryan Giggs.