Tag: Adidas

Armour Up For the Court

In Medieval times knights would sometimes adorn just a bit of armor when visiting the royal court. And now a very different type of “armour” will be adorned for a very different type of court. Baltimore sports apparel company Under Armour Inc. is looking to gain a foothold in the competitive basketball shoe market. Last week the company unveiled its first-ever line of basketball shoes, which will debut in stores this coming November.

The question is whether Under Armour will be able to soar in a market dominated by Nike, which practically stole the market from rivals such as Adidas and Reebok. Of course back in 1980 the shoe maker made its name on the court with its Michael Jordan branded shoes – and Jordan has been retired from the game for a long time, so maybe Armour’s assault is actually long over do. Continue reading Armour Up For the Court

Showdown Over “Toning Products” Looming?

A war of words could be brewing over those so-called “toning” shoes reports MediaPost, which notes that Nike is firing back at rivals Reebok/Adidas (Adidas owns Reebok). Nike is running print ads (see below) for its own Trainer One women’s shoe, with the headline “The Ultimate Quick Fix is not a magical toning shoe,” and follows with the tag line: “This shoe works if you do.” In other words it goes back to the old Nike slogan of “Just do it.” So is that the end of the “toning” craze? Not likely. Continue reading Showdown Over “Toning Products” Looming?

Adidas Brings miCoarch to iPhone and BlackBerry

Earlier this year Adidas unveiled its miCoach system, which put sensors on a runner’s shoes as well as a device on the arm to measure distance, pace and even stride rate. Users could get a lot of information, and could even sync the data to a website. Now the company has taken the next step by introducing a miCoach application for the iPhone and BlackBerry that is meant to work as a virtual personal and real-time trainer.

As with the miCoach devices, this app utilizes GPS capabilities, where real-time pace-based coaching and tracking is provided. The app essentially transforms a smartphone into a personal guide complete with voice coaching, personalized and sports-specific training regimes, workout calendar and workout feedback. The app also monitors, manages and analyses progress over time. Continue reading Adidas Brings miCoarch to iPhone and BlackBerry

Did the Adidas FORMOTION Jersey Deliver in the World Cup?

Before the World Cup the LA Galaxy tested the space age uniforms

Introduced last March for the 2010 Major League Soccer season, the Adidas TECHFIT uniforms have been seen in the FIFA World Cup. The question going around the Web is whether the results were more psychological than physical? The other technology advance seen in the uniforms for the World Cup is in how the technology has made the leap from typical under garments to be the material in the actual uniforms. This is notable with the FORMOTION uniforms, which is an alternative, which also offers moisture-wicking fabrics and mesh construction to help provide ventilation and keep the athletes cool.

So is this a lot of hype? There is no doubt that clothing not only makes the man, or makes the woman, but as we’ve seen improvements in garments can help reduce drag, keep an athlete cooler and improve performance. The question now is did the TECHFIT and FORMOTION uniforms do as much physically as it did mentally?

The TECHFIT uniforms consisted of compression fabrics and strategically placed TPU (Thermoplastic Urethane) bands that were located in key areas. This was cited as being able to enhance muscle power, and according to news reports TECHFIT was “proven” to increase a player’s power by 5.3 percent, vertical leap by 4 percent and sprint speed by 1.1 percent, as well as to enhance endurance by 0.8 percent. This sounds like the suit from Greatest American Hero to us! But at $150 a pop it is probably almost as expensive.

What was also worth noting is that several teams including South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Spain, Germany and France have worn both TECHFIT and FORMOTION uniforms, while other nations such as Greece, Denmark, Slovakia, Paraguay and Nigeria were outfitted with FORMOTION uniforms and a TECHFIT base layer. Sounds good right? Well, consider this… the team from the Netherlands was reported fitted with Nike made uniforms!

So we’re not one to question the psychological effects either. If you look good and feel good by looking good, you’ll probably play better too.

Adidas World Cup Site

Nike World Cup Site

[Via FoxNews.com: High Tech Soccer Jersey Effects More Psychological than Physical World Cup players more likely to get confidence boost from new uniform kit ]

Air Ball

adidas World Cup Jabulani Ball

This week the California Institute of Technology gave new meaning to the concept of “air ball” as aerospace engineers at the prestigious school put the controversial new “Jabulani” football (that’s soccer to most of us Americans) to the test in a wind tunnel. The ball, which was developed by adidas, is currently being used in the World Cup, where players, coaches and fans have blamed it for missed shots. So much for blaming bad play?

According to reports two balls were put into the Lucas Wind Tunnel and exposed to wind speeds of about 10 meters per second, which is actually slower than a typical kicked ball. To determine the movement of air around said balls, a smoke machine was called in. This helped the engineers visualize the air movement. The findings actually matched some complaints from teams in the World Cup. The ball reportedly had some “bizarre trajectories.”

 Developed by the adidas Innovation Team (a.i.t.), the ball has been tested as new “match ball” for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. This mean tests under the toughest laboratory conditions, but it isn’t clear if this is in fact the first time the ball went into a wind tunnel. At this point it doesn’t look as if the ball will pulled, but with more studies coming dare we say that the wind of change is blowing through.

Adiddas World Cup  Jabulani Ball at Amazon.com

[Via Reuters: Geeks give new Cup ball a wind tunnel workout]

Padding the March Madness Players

NBA player Tim Duncan wearing adidas TechFit gear.

Basketball is not the sport you associate with padding. Those flimsy polyester shorts and tops don’t provide much in the way of armor. Many players are starting to add a layer of compression or padding under their uniforms to get an edge over the competition. Adidas TechFit line has both compression and padding options. While NBA players are adopting the gear into their game, NCAA members competing in March Madness finals are also said to be wearing the new garments.

The PowerWeb line combines compression fabrics and a Web of strategically placed Thermoplastic Polyurethane bands to boost power to key muscle groups. Compression gives power to musicle groups for more efficient movement, increasing acceleration; improving endurance; and reducing fatigue.

TechFit Padded uses closed cell foam padding to protect athletes and provide maximum flexibility. High-impact resistance helps players avoid injuries when they come into contact with other players or the hard wood surface of the court. A CNN article details some of the practical uses and injuries that were lessened by the extra layer of protection.

Players can choose padding, compression, or a combination of the two in shorts, tops, knee and elbow garments based on the position they play and their individual needs.

Adidas TechFit

Inform Your Run with Adidas miCoach

Adidas miCoach tracks progress during your run, and prompts you on your pace.

A heart rate monitor alone can only tell you so much about your run. It tracks your heart rate, and based on your age, calculates how many calories you burned, and some other data. Adidas adds to the monitor with miCoach. In addition to the chest strap to measure heart rate, it puts a sensor on a runner’s shoe, and an device on a runner’s arm. The shoe sensor adds more data by measuring distance, pace, and stride rate.

The device on the arm is the computer. It gathers and calculates data from the chest and shoe sensors. Then it tells  you to speed up or slow down to get within four workout zones. Headphones plug into miCoach so you can hear its directions. The device is compatible with any MP3 player, so you can listen to music and also get prompts from miCoach.

At home miCoach syncs to an online profile at adidas.com/micoach, and tracks your workout. You can define your goals on the site whether it’s to get in shape or train for a marathon. Those goals then determine the direction you get while on your run. MiCoach costs about $69.99 for the arm piece, chest strap, and shoe sensor.

Adidas miCoach

Adidas Gets in on the Game

If you’re caught playing with a phone or a video game in class, chances are it could end up in the teacher’s drawer. So does this mean that some kids might be going home barefoot? Could be as Adidas has released a line of shoes called the “Originals,” sneakers, which include the Superstar, Stan Smith, Forum, Nizza and Samba. Each of these has a barcode in the tongue of the shoe (no tongue and cheek here), which can be read by a Webcam to open the world of the 3D Adidas Originals neighborhood.

 The shoes in turn become the controller, and shoeless Joes can play in a series of interactive games in this world, including a laser blaster game, a skateboard game, a Star Wars themed game and a music-based game. Let’s hope that each player has to use their shoes/controllers and that these don’t get that nasty shoe smell. That might be one reality no one needs!

Wozniacki Says No Sweat at Australian Open

Adidas Stella McCartney Tennis Performance Dress
Stella McCartney Tennis Performance Dress by Adidas worn by Caroline Wozniacki.

Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki made it through another round of women’s singles today at the Australian Open Tennis Championships. She stays cool outfitted in Adidas by Stella McCartney gear. On the court she’s wearing the Tennis Performance Dress, which is made with Adidas Climate technology. Climate Technology consists of layers of special materials and mesh panels on the sides of the garment for proper ventilation. The garment also features flatlock stitching that makes all seams flat and prevent the discomfort a seam with bulk might add.