Another step closer to a digitally created football boot? It would certainly look that way as adidas unveil the revolutionary Made For Minnesota (AM4MN) American Football cleats – the first cleats digitally created at the brand's SPEEDFACTORY facility in Ansbach, Germany.
The adidas SpeedFactoy has already produced two running shoes, but the AM4MN cleats are the most significant yet as they'll be worn in the Super Bowl on Sunday, proving that the technology is fit for the psychical demands of contact sport. One thing we know for sure, is that adidas wouldn't just do this to prove that it's possible. It will only become a reality in soccer if the technology genuinely betters the performance experience of players, but to see it ticks the box for NFL is a strong indicator that a debut in football isn't too far away.
So, what's it all about?
The adidas SpeedFactory can create a custom boot 3x faster than standard production. Adidas are calling it 'future of manufacturing and customisation' of how they create product as a brand. The technology is data driven and digitally produced, giving each player a totally bespoke fit.
The AM4MN cleat uses a Primeknit upper for a sock-like fit. Nothing new there, but adidas designers have utilized athlete foot scans and ARAMIS motion capture technology used by NASA to understand the precise details of how an athlete's foot moves during a football game.
The result is the creation of a series of patches that have been strategically placed across different parts of the cleats to harnesses movement, provide stability and support, and deliver a precision fit that is specifically tuned for elite performance for football athletes.
Is it here to stay?
Yes, absolutely. The SpeedFactory in Germany will soon be joined by a second facility in Atlanta as adidas firmly see the technology as a key player across a number of their sports. The Minnesota (AM4MN) marks the third creation from adidas SPEEDFACTORY. Additional launches in Los Angeles (AM4LA), New York (AM4NYC), Tokyo (AM4TKY) and Shanghai (AM4SHA) will be coming soon in 2018.
Will we see it in soccer?
We certainly wouldn't bet against seeing a digitally created football boot before the year is out. After all, the NFL cleat we're looking at here isn't a million miles away from the current X football boot series. Add in the fact that the outsole is the widely used lightweight SprintFrame soleplate that's featured on numerous adidas football boots, and we'd guess that adidas have wheels in motion already for a debut in football.
Put the dubbin' away, this is next-level stuff...
