Metasox - The Shinpad For The Foot
We love innovative new football gear here at the SoccerBible, so let us introduce the Metasox - The shinpad for the foot! As we begin the new season, now more than ever the boots market is overwhelmed with thin and lightweight speed boots, great for acceleration and ball touch, but bad for protection. The reason why some of the games top players are turning to the innovative Metasox...
The most important asset to any footballer is his feet, protecting them is key to not just performance but to making it onto the pitch. As today's game develops, players are continually becoming stronger and faster so getting that edge over your opponent is paramount, as is protecting yourself against an opponent who wants to bring you down! After 3 years of design and material development the Metasox where manufactured to do exactly this.
A hybrid of an advanced sport sock and a shin-pad, the Metasox have a specially engineered impact pad attached to the top of the foot providing you with the three key facets required to excel in football, which Metasox refer to as the 3 P's (Precision, Power Protection).
Precision - the pad is engineered to extend the sweet spot, like a driver in golf, allowing for a more accurate pass with less reaction from impact when striking the ball off-centre.
Power - formed from a specially engineered, flexible and elasticated silicon compound the impact pad provides an extended contact period with the ball producing additional power to the wearer.
Protection - designed in a winged shape to cover the full metatarsal region from 1st to 5th and at only 3mm deep the material can withstand 40 Newton's of force.
The Metasox have been designed to work in synergy with your chosen boot whether it be a Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly, an F50 adizero Prime or even an adidas Predator. The thickness and comfort of the sock has been closely scrutinised and tested by professionals to find the ideal depth. Something we can testify to as one of the players in our office wears Metasox with his adizero's, and claims you don't actually notice the pad as it's not obtrusive when playing.
Since their release to the professional fraternity in summer 2010, the uptake of Metasox has been unprecedented. Within the space of a year Metasox state their product is now worn by over 30% of the English Barclay's Premier League and 40% of the Coca Cola Championship teams, so perhaps they are what we are seeing when players appear to be wearing normal socks taped to their team socks..
Designed for the player to wear under or over their club sock, the Metasox are probably going to be preferred by for those who like the extra feel of a second sock, with the addition of the Metasox technology. Constructed predominately from a cotton material, they are more aligned to a traditional sports sock. The ankle area has reinforced elasticised ankle support to keep the sock in place throughout the 90 minutes, and an elasticised turnover top to hold the shinpad in place and avoid the requirement of sock ties.
It could be the Metasox we see when the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani appear to be wearing normal socks taped to their clubs socks, and at just £15 GBP / $24 USD / €18 EURO they're great value for protecting your feet and metatarsals whilst offering additional power!
What do we think of the Metasox, are they a great innovation offering much needed protection to speed boot wearers? Share your opinions and join the conversations with the SoccerBible community online.
