Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt

Football and Technology

 

Football Footwear

4. Measures for enhancing shooting technique: inlays and structured upper surfaces

4.1. Additional shoe components

Football shoe with additional weight (20) incorporated in the forefoot sole for stabilising the foot when shooting (DE 103 10 526 B4)LupeFigure 9: Football shoe with additional weight (20) incorporated in the forefoot sole for stabilising the foot when shooting (DE 103 10 526 B4)

Measures for enhancing the technical skills of players, above all, their ball handling, shooting power and accuracy, have been proposed since the early days of football footwear. The first measure was the previously presented toe cap made of hard leather, which was used as early as the first half of the 19th century to increase the shooting power. Even patent documents from the 20th century contain various toe cap proposals.

In a recent example, additional weights are incorporated in the forefoot area of the sole for stabilising the foot against the torque which is effective when shooting a ball. This allows to lower the power required for stabilising the motion process involved when shooting (Figure 9). A similar effect can be achieved by using inlays with anisotropic bending properties that will become either softer or more rigid, depending on the direction of the rotation of the foot movement. This enhances the shooting power and provides, at the same time, for a pleasant running feeling.

More recent applications are dedicated to the heel area: EP 3123886 A1 describes an "adaptive ultra-light shoe attachment part" and "heel stabilization element".

Hard work is also being done on the further development of socks and socks:
DE 102016207387 A1 describes a special sock-shoe combination "to optimise the contact characteristics". Socks with increased grip promises US 2015/0 264 995 A1.
And to prevent players who have to wait on the bench from getting cold feet in their thin, lightweight football shoes, a "warming overshoe" was invented that is easy to pull over (DE 102009033142).

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Relevant patent documents
Publication numberYearTitleBrief description
DE 102 50 330 A1   2004   Biegeelement mit drehsinnabhängigem Verhalten   Inlay components with anisotropic bending properties for enhanced shooting power and pleasant running feeling 
DE 103 10 526 B4   2003   Fußballschuh   Football shoe with additional weight incorporated in the forefoot sole for stabilising the foot when shooting the ball 
DE-PS 940 962   1954   Schussverstärker für Fußballschuhe   Wedge-shaped instep part for increasing shooting power, arranged in such a way that it is made easier to put the shoe on 
DE-PS 924 425   1953   Fußballschuh   Football shoe with concave tip for increasing shooting power and scoring accuracy 
DE-PS 922 572   1952   Fußballschuh   Football half-boot with cork instep plate to protect the foot and enhance shooting technique (cf. section 2.2) 
DE-PS 910 395   1949   Schußverstärker für Fußballschuhe und mit diesem ausgestatteter Fußballschuh   Component provided on the shoe surface above the instep area for increasing shooting power 
DE-PS 449 911   1926   Fußballstiefel u. dgl.   Outer toe cap for increasing shooting power, made of resilient material for reducing risk of injuries and improving stability 
DE-PS 349 241   1921   Spannhalter für Fußballspieler   Instep support straps for tighter fit of the shoe and tougher shots 
 

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4.2. Surface structure

Early example of structured upper of a football shoe: two beads provided on the instep for improved shooting accuracy (DE-PS 347117)LupeFigure 10a: Early example of structured upper of a football shoe: two beads provided on the instep for improved shooting accuracy (DE-PS 347117)

Shoe designers realised at an early stage that the surface of the upper may contribute to enhancing the player's ball control. If the upper surface has a suitable structure, the ball will not so easily slide off wet shoes. In an early example, two beads were provided on the instep area, for the ball to find a "rest" in between (Figure 10a).
It was soon proposed to roughen the upper surface or to use materials with high roughness such as crêpe rubber for coating the upper in order to improve the adhesion of the ball.
A very original concept related initially to the use of a natural material, the skin of a cartilaginous fish, on the upper surface (Figures 10b - 10d). This skin consists of very tough tooth-like scales and is virtually wear-proof (DE 1 998 909 U).

Later variation: flat strips (3, 4) with scaled surface made of fish skin or synthetic material (from DE 1 930 092 A1)LupeFigure 10b: Later variation: flat strips (3, 4) with scaled surface made of fish skin or synthetic material (from DE 1 930 092 A1)

Even if this utility model document proposes to use shark skin as an alternative, the concept is unlikely to be suitable for mass production. Consequently, a patent application directly based on this utility model document suggested to alternatively use synthetic replacement materials (DE 1 930 092 A1), simulating the properties of fish skin.

In order to increase the friction on the surface of the shoes, an attachment (DE 102011055261 A1) or an overshoe (EP 000002319341 A1) have recently been developed.
Work also continues on the shoe upper to create "zones optimized for specific areas" (DE 102011086742 A1, DE 102012207300 A1).

Recently, a ball control insert was also proposed as an "optimising insert for the forefoot area" (EP 000002374365 A1) and new ways of surface optimisation (DE 112015000234 T5, EP 000003219217 A1).
US 020170071290 by the leading American sports goods manufacturer describes a football shoe whose knitted upper is provided with additional ball control structures.
DE 10201515219636 A1, registered by Germany's largest competitor, defines a manufacturing process for coating a fabric with a three-dimensional shape whose special functional coating should have advantages for ball guidance.

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Prototype of original shoe manufactured according to DE 1 930 092 A1LupeFigure 10c: Prototype of original shoe manufactured according to DE 1 930 092 A1

Prototype of original shoe manufactured according to DE 1 930 092 A1LupeFigure 10d: Prototype of original shoe manufactured according to DE 1 930 092 A1

 

High-quality synthetic materials have been of great importance in this field too. They allowed to develop ever more sophisticated surfaces for the instep, tip, sides and heel areas featuring tailor-made materials properties and complex structures.

The structural concept, copied from nature, of arranging scale-like ribs on the shoe surface has meanwhile been optimised using synthetic materials (Figure 11).

Upper surface with individual scale-like or rib-like structure elements 70, 74, 75 (WO 92/22224 A1)LupeFigure 11a: Upper surface with individual scale-like or rib-like structure elements 70, 74, 75 (WO 92/22224 A1)

Structured upper on finished product (copyright: Adidas)LupeFigure 11b: Structured upper on finished product (copyright: Adidas)

 

Relevant patent documents
Publication numberYearTitleBrief description
US 6,523,282 B1   2003   Article of Footwear for Gripping and Kicking the Ball   Further development of a structured outer surface of a shoe upper with fin or spike shaped protrusions 
WO 92/22224 A1   1991   Football Boot   Football shoe whose surface is provided with individual scale-like or rib-like structure elements for improved ball adhesion 
DE 28 12 760 A1   1978   Sportschuh, insbesondere Fußballschuh   Net layer incorporated in the upper; its relief shows through the thin outer skin of the shoe to obtain a structured surface 
DE-OS 1 930 092   1969   Sportschuh mit besonders griffiger Schaftaußenseite, insbesondere Fußballschuh   Plastic coating with good grip that copies the scale-like structure of fish skin 
DE-GM 1 998 909   1968   Fußballschuh   Shoe surface coated with the skin of a cartilaginous fish whose scale structure allows to obtain a particularly good ball adhesion 
DE-GM 1 899 722   1964   Fußballschuh   Specifically shaped heel cap for improving the ball feeling 
DE-OS 1 149 273   1961   Fußballstiefel mit griffiger Schaftoberfläche   Ornamental upper surface with perforated coating, whose apertures are filled with plastic material 
DE-GM 1 805 045   1959   Fußballstiefel   Surface structuring by means of roughened rubber pads affixed to the shoe instep and tip 
DE-GM 1 791 938   1959   Fußballschuh   Roughening of the outside leather upper of the shoe for better ball adhesion 
DE-PS 822 799   1950   Fußballstiefel   For improving ball adhesion, the front part of the shoe upper is made of a material such as crêpe rubber which has a high friction value in comparison to leather 
DE-PS 347 117   1921   Fußballstiefel   Beads provided on the instep area of the shoe to improve shooting accuracy 

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4.3. The lacing

Tension bands devices such as straps incorporated in the football boot were proposed as early as in the 1920s for supporting the foot when kicking the ball. Subsequent improvements of the lacing were mainly intended to enhance the shoe fit (ao. by means of lacing in the heels area), to make stepping-in more comfortable or to obtain a specific fit, eg. for injured, bandaged ankles.

The concept of tension lacing - further developed in a suitable manner - is still being applied in modern football shoes (EP 0 877 566). It should create a tight and comfortable fit of the shoe and prevent fatigue of the musculoskeletal system.

In connection with efforts to optimise shoe surfaces for improved ball adhesion, most of today's developments focus on flat adhesion of the shoe surface to the foot. At the same time, interference of the laces is being eliminated either by means of side lacing or special lace covers, such as tongues or concave cover attachments.

The latest application was for a tension band to be applied to a closed sports shoe, which is intended to improve the fit of the sports shoe to the wearer's foot and increase ball control (DE 202014004188 U1).

DE 102016215263 A1 does without lacing and describes a shoe uppers made of braided materials "for selective elastic adjustment".

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Relevant patent documents
Publication numberYearTitleBrief description
WO 2007/020483 A1   2007   Lacing for Sport Shoes and a Sport Shoe with such a Lacing   Football shoe with V-shaped lacing slots on either side for enlarging the shoe opening 
WO 99/26503 A1   1998   Sporting Footwear   Concave instep attachment covering the lacing, for improved ball handling 
EP 0 877 566 B1   1997   Sportschuh, insbesondere Fußballschuh   Football shoe with tension strips for stiffening purposes and improved shoe fit  
DE-GM 92 14 715   1992   Schuh mit Zentralverschluß   Rear-entry football shoe for lace-free design of the instep area (corresponds to EP 0 666 718 B1) 
DE-OS 2 208 110   1972   Sporthalbschuh, insbesondere Fußballhalbschuh   Football shoe with side fastening strap for adapting the upper width, eg. to accommodate bandaged ankles 
CH-PS 532 374   1970   Fussballschuh   Football shoe with side lacing (compare DD 89 796) 
DE-OS 1 947 823   1969   Schuhwerk, insbesondere Fußballschuh oder Fußballstiefel   Leather tongue covered lacing for improved ball control 
DE-GM 1 849 642   1962   Sportschuh, insbesondere Fußballschuh   Football shoe with lace holders for guiding the lace around the ankle area 
DE-PS 930 859   1952   Fußballschuh   Football shoe with additional straps at the mid-foot area for tighter fastening of the shoe 
DE-PS 349 241   1921   Spannhalter für Fußballspieler   Instep support straps for tighter fit of the shoe and tougher shots 

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