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Philip@Aero
Aero Cricket's Managing Director
New Zealand
540 Posts |
 Posted - 06/10/2009 : 03:44:35
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The Nike cricket boots have been available to a lot of elite players before now but this year is the first time that they will be genuinely available outside of India.
The 2010 range constitutes five shoes:
- Yorker
- Opener
- Pace
- Century
- Googly
Nike Yorker and Opener
The design brief was to make a shoe that reduced injury for the most injury prone cricketer – the fast bowler.
While from the outside they look simple, with a smooth shiny finish, the laser etched perforations give an insight into the technology and effort that has gone into making the best cricket shoe available today.
There are several features built into the design that help reduce the foot sliding on delivery and therefore damaging the big toe and it’s nail. The foot sits inside a booty that provides a soft cushion surround and reduces the pressure on the toe against the end of the shoe.
Straps run over the foot between the bootie and the upper, to pull the foot down onto an anatomically sculpted footbed that fits snugly under the arch. They combine to reduce the foot sliding forward and hopefully reduce bruising and the need for cutting a hole in the toe.
The midsole includes two zoom air units that provide responsive cushioning and explosive power to every step.
The outer sole was specifically designed to maximize traction and reduce spike pressure, meaning more grip for longer periods, in total comfort. Using running shoe technology and materials like blown rubber, the shoes remain super-lightweight while still providing the grip expected from a full spike shoe.
While the shoes origins were as a bowling shoe, it still surpasses all the needs of an opening batsman, being lightweight, well cushioned, and supportive. Hence, so many international players choosing to wear it while Keeping, Batting or Fielding.
Nike Century, Pace
These shoes have a more traditional structure but attempt to use the same techniques to reduce the foot sliding forward when bowling. The booty is discarded for a more traditional tongue and the straps holding the foot down are visible and work with the lacing to reduce sliding and provide support.
The blown rubber sole is replaced by carbon rubber for added durability and stability.
A heel Zoom air unit provides cushioning and reduces spike pressure through the midsole.
The Pebax spike plate through the midsole in all midsoles not only provides a light weight mount for the spikes but also provides midfoot stability and reduces torque thereby reducing excessive pronation.
Note - there are an awful lot of international players who wear the Century.
Googly
The Googly is a pretty typical rubber soled shoe with a few Nike upgrades. It has an air sole to provide cushioning as well as the midsole insert which provides midfoot stability and reduces torque thereby reducing excessive pronation.
Users of this range include - Zaheer Khan, Jonathan Trott, Danesh Karthik, Shane Bond, Daniel Vettori, Jessie Ryder, Martin Guptill, Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya plus a large number of the Sri Lankans and Pakistanis, Peter McGlashan, Wayne Parnell, Grant Elliott, James Franklin etc etc
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