With the world’s attention currently on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, PUMA has taken the opportunity to announce its investment into an ACL research study. The announcement was made at Cockatoo Island, Sydney, in a special panel talk at the newly opened PUMA pitch that hosted initiatives and programs during the start of the Women’s World Cup.
When England’s Keira Walsh went down clutching her knee in the World Cup group stage game against Denmark, many feared the worst. Thankfully, she was not the latest in a long line of names to suffer from an ACL injury, but it is a problem blighting the women’s game in particular, and it isn’t showing any signs of going away any time soon. That’s why PUMA is accelerating its commitment to the future of women’s football, investing in the next generation of athletes, pioneering innovative women-centric product design, and committing to crucial health and safety research, chief among which is a study that will further explore ACL injuries in women's football.
Female players are known to be between 2-10 times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than their male counterparts. This research aims to delve into these injuries' complex dynamics and develop effective training programs with the aim to reduce the risk for female athletes.
One of the paramount outcomes of this research is to further develop PUMA’s women-specific football boots that were launched two years ago. The brand is at the forefront of product innovation, being the first global brand to offer football boots with a women-specific fit and across all three of its collections – FUTURE, ULTRA, and KING. Launched in 2021 the women’s specific fit, adopted by over 95 percent of all PUMA-sponsored professional female players, underlines PUMA’s commitment to providing the best possible equipment for female athletes.
“Research into the anatomy of the female and male foot, combined with cross comparison fit testing, formed the basis of our women-specific football boots,” said Stephanie Vieira, Senior Product Line Manager Teamsport Footwear, PUMA. “Based on our findings we developed the women’s fit boots with a lower instep, along with reduced volume in the midfoot and the forefoot to create a better fitting boot for female athletes, that is tailored to the anatomical shape of the female foot.”
The ongoing research will help to continuously improve the offering for athletes and will be designed considering the unique risk factors identified in ACL injuries in women's football. PUMA aims to transform these findings into practical solutions, undergoing rigorous testing and validation in collaboration with their partners (clubs and players).
"PUMA's commitment to women's football goes beyond the pitch. We're are investing in a comprehensive research study with our partners into ACL injuries in women's football, aiming to understand the risks, develop training programs, and enhance our women's fit football boots. We're dedicated to nurturing athletes, driving innovation, and ensuring player health and safety. The findings of the research will continue to influence our product moving forward and will support the objective with our PUMA partners in helping to reduce the risk of ACL injuries in the women’s game. As a brand PUMA exists to promote equality, identify challenges and work together with our partners to reduce barriers to women playing sport.” - Maria Valdes, Chief Product Officer, PUMA
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