A strong statement, to be sure. But if you had witnessed the presentation at Cowboy Stadium put on by Nike Football, you would be as in awe as I am. I was invited to attend the 2011 Nike Media Summit in Dallas earlier this week. I have so much to share with you from it and will do it in posts over the next several days. New shoes, advancements in technology that will make players faster and protect them better than any footwear or uniforms have before, and some thoughts on the advantages Nike gives players at all levels are to come.
Today we are going to talk about Nike’s new football cleat. It is practically space age
Nike debuted the Air Zoom Alpha Talon football cleat and the Pro Combat Football Uniform. The thought and technology that go into both is staggering — and typically Nike. Let’s face it, the company has long been the go to brand for excellence across all sports. This philosophy was touted at the beginning of Tuesday’s presentation.
“To Bring Innovation & Inspiration to every Athlete* in the World. *If you have a body you are an athlete.”
“To Bring Innovation & Inspiration to every Athlete* in the World.”
“*If you have a body you are an athlete.”
Anyone who has ever worn Nike gear knows this to be true. The company values every athlete from the professional football player to the occasional runner (ie: ME). Technology developed for the highest levels of play are incorporated into shoes and clothing available to casual athletes and gym rats all over the world.
Nike went into designing the next generation of football cleats armed with over 30 years of Nike Football insight and research and built the ultimate performance cleat that addressed the demands of every position on the field.
Does that sound like a media kit blurb? It is, but I am telling you: This shoe is a game changer.
Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon
The shoe features:
- Flywire – lightweight support – built for speed without compromising support in the ankles and feet
- Talons – this is the big game changer folks — the Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon is the first football cleat to feature adaptive traction — what does this mean? Well, this improved traction technology enables the athlete to accelerate at top speed — basically the shoe provides traction when you need it but doesn’t dig in when you don’t need it. Adaptive Traction. Such a simple concept, yet it has never been done in a football cleat until now.
- Deflex Padding – The ankle collar of the Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon features the same deflex layer used in the base layer and uniform pant of the Nike Pro Combat Football Uniform. The deflex layer provides additional protection in a lightweight, breathable package.
- Kurim – a highly durable, highly breathable, abrasion resistant material that provides structure around the ankle
- Phylon with Nike Zoom Air – this provides cushioning while staying low to the ground
- Z-Bar – Contains and supports the ankle while locking foot to the footbed
- Sidewall Shovels - provides on the edge traction
- Sharkteeth Traction – this is actually really cool – it provides additional traction when backpedaling
- Kevlar laces - ultra durable laces players can count on to not break mid-game or practice or training session
The Nike Air Zoom Alpha Talon is a premium cleat built for every position on the field. It allows for maximum speed without compromising stability and traction. It will be available on 2/7/11.
Tomorrow I’ll be back to discuss more cool things from the Nike Media Summit at Cowboy Stadium and a theory I have about Oregon’s speed. (Hint: Damn I wish Phil Knight was a USC Alumni!)
Your Gridiron Goddess in the Press Box at Cowboy Stadium 12/14/10
There are expectations that Stanford Cardinal are going to lose for Virginia Tech Hokies in the Orange Bowl, but whatever said, it remains just sayings if not say bullshit. As a Stanford fan, I wish good luck for Cardinal! Gooooooooooo, Gooooo Stanford!