A word about shoe weights

[PROFESSORCALGUES]

Despite the prevailing wisdom on this board as to shoe weight being relatively unimportant, I'd like to offer this rejoinder.

For slim/slender-built players with a high predisposition-- or genetic gift if you will-- for blistering speed, lightest weight should figure very highly in your choice of shoe. To bolster this thesis, I offer two sources: one being my experience with automotobile performance modification, and the other, the astute and considered wisdom of my mechanical engineer father with 30 years of expereince.

My dad bored me to tears with a lengthy, wholly ponderous explanation, giving the physics and mathematics behind the fact that light shoes are of even more benefit to slim players with skinny legs, or rather, these players will feel more of a speed penalty wearing heavier shoes than those with stockier, bulkier builds. I swear, it was all so dull as to be coma-inducing, but my common sense, which is admittedly questionable, tells me that this all does seem logical.

Now I do know that in the world of fast cars, its commonly understood that reducing weight of rotating mass (the wheels/tires) has far more of an effect upon acceleration than just removing the equivalent weight from elsewhere on the car. In fact, its on the order of 10-to-1... basically, removing 1 pound unsprung weight yields roughly the same results in track time as removing 10 pounds of sprung weight. To illustrate, lets assume we're able to shave 5 pounds off each wheel (unsprung weight) by buying some lighter wheels and tires. 5 pounds times 4 wheels equals 20 pounds.. utilizing the simple formula above, we've effectively, performance-wise, lowered our weight by 200 pounds. And that's a very noticeable difference when it comes time to race.

I'm no physicist, but i see no reason why the very same principle should not apply to our feet, producing measurable results.
Losing 10 pounds from your gut will yield improvement in speed... losing a couple mere ounces from your feet will yield results just as dramatic... should this postulate prove true.

[str8ruckus]

Excellent first post, well done.

[servotron]

I can't say I agree. The weight difference between the heaviest boots and the lightest is probably 40-50% MAX. We're talking ounces here. If there's ANY sort of advantage I doubt it's in speed, but in striking the ball. The heavier boot MIGHT get a tiny bit more power on the ball since the inertia might build up a little more or something to that effect.

I'll bet that if there is an advantage of a lighter shoe (Nike Mercurials), it's cancelled out when you get stepped on and it HURTS (no mathematical formula for THAT!) whereas it might not be as bad with a more "armored" shoe (Adidas Predators).

Again, just guessing here, but I have to disagree :D

[Jc18star]

I understand your therory and it was a good first post but unless someone is playing in cement shoes then .2 ounces isn't going to make a bit of change in their own speed, unless they are blazing fast to start with then maybe I can see they lightness factor having an impact but if a person is that fast no one is catching them anyway(i.e Titi Henry).

I think what people are getting at is that if your fast then you are fast(Henry, Ronaldo) if your slow you are slow(Teddy Sheringham) and just buying the vapor or similar boot isn't going to turn a player in to an olympic sprinter like some posters here would like to think.

It's creative marketing that can't be proven or disproven to a reasonable extent so in the end Nike or whoever pads the sales they would already have made form people who really like the shoe with dumba$$ people, like a lot of the posters here who buy the shoe because they are the shoe Ronaldo wears. They can be as good as him if they wear them becasue the skill and speed all bolis down to that pair of vaapors and not the years of playing barefoot in the streets or anything like that. Or they get them becasue all their friends bought them because Eurosport said they are fast boots for fast players and if they run a 40 in 8.9 seconds they can consider themselves a fast player for sure.

Same deal as the Predators if you can't strike a ball with power, pass it with percision, or bend it around a wall the shoe is not going to just give you that ability it may enhance your ability slightly at best if you are able to do these things in the first place, but no jacka$$ in their right mind can relly think shoes are magic wands that you can wave to get faster or be able to rip the net when shooting with.

[smith07]

maybe we should start looking into sock weight as well or even lighter athletic tape is it is a 10X difference

[PROFESSORCALGUES]

Thanks for the warm welcome, friends. I hope to learn some things here.

You know, ounces may not seem like much, but in the context of your feet, ounces are significant. Is anyone here familiar with mountian biking? Forget ounces, those guys at the top level actually obsess over grams, especially when it comes to ways to lighten rims, hubs, spokes and tires--- again, unsprung weight.

Our feet are our "unsprung weight".

I maintain that shoe weights is a subject which should be kept near and dear to those of us slight of build, and fleet of feet. No, it's not going to alter our game, but lets face it... an advantage is an advantage, no matter how small, , and it would be remiss of us not to exploit it if we can. We seek other ways of gaining advantage (training, watching film, weights, etc.) and so I see no reason when why one should write this one off. The mountain bikers and car racers have this philosphy and so should we.

How many ounces are worth saving exactly,in order to make it all worthwhile, I dont know... but this I will say...
I recently bought a pair of adidas Mundial Goal indoor shoes, for no other reason than I know them to be comfortable, but especially because I got them for a steal. They are good shoes in every other way, but "light" they are not.... Eastbay says 12.6 ounces. For kicks I went to the local shop to try on some Top Sala II's.... and the differnece in weight was quite perceptible. The Salas are 9.4 ounces. My feeling is, if its a difference you can feel, then its probably a differnce you can measure... which means it probably worth it!
I mean, car racers will spare no expense to find an extra 10 horses out of their car.... a difference not felt AT ALL in the seat of the pants but definitely seen in the timeslip.

[Jc18star]

There are too many other things that limit the aerodynamics of soccer players like the unifroms and they way they retain water to be worried about an ounce or 2 on a shoe.

[ADIKeeper]

Besides, more weight = more inertia. You just have to work on the whole acceleration part. I wear predators and AZT90II's and I can catch guys in Vapors just fine. I honestly think weight doesn't do a whole lot. But it's kind of a mental thing. If you feel faster, then you'll run faster. This debate will never end...so, to each his own!

[redalert101]

guys im sorry u dont agree with the professer but u cant argue with physics

[HiVel0city88]

i'm always the fastest player on the field with 11 oz. shoes. i'm always the fastest player on the field with 7 oz. shoes. nuff said.

[CC05]

I was about to post, basically agreeing with the majority in that I don't think a few ounces matter... but than I was thinking about track (sprinting). When I buy a pair of spikes, I go for a VERY light pair... and when they make spikes, they make 'em light. They obviously do it for a reason so I guess the same could be said about shoes in any other sport really.


Great first post PROFESSORCALGUES.

[ADIKeeper]

Track spikes are designed to dig into the track and give more traction. But, it also helps a lot when they're light. However...I have never worn a track spike that had good foot-support. You're supposed to run for 90 minutes in shoes that you feel comfortable in and will give you enough spring and support so you don't get injured. But I feel like I can break Vapors in two. They are really just plastic...I'd rather wear 12 oz shoes and stay healthy than risk it with Vapors.

[PROFESSORCALGUES]

There are too many other things that limit the aerodynamics of soccer players like the unifroms and they way they retain water to be worried about an ounce or 2 on a shoe.

Not to be contrarian, but most respectfully, I doubt highly the difference between one jersey and the next, or one pair of shorts and the next, figures in affecting the aerodynamics such that it would inhibit speed/accleration on a soccer player.
Wind resistance acts exponentially to counter forward speed... aerodynamics are absolutely crucial in a race car.. but only as the speed rises to very high levels. Aero-streamlining a race car will pay higher dividends in pursuit of top speed than will increasing horsepower or lightening weight... but only because wind resistance is a huge inhibition at say, 180mph...

But the point is, wind resistance is infintesimally slight at say, 30mph. So, given the fastest player on the field can run no higher than about 19 mph at full tilt, aero counts for virtually nothing.. in any case it pales it comparison to the pusuit of a better power/weight ratio. Which is where stronger legs and lighter feet come in.

Power-to-weight... brute force in a light package... is the ironclad methodology of acceleration.

Anyway, i guess the sticking point of this debate is: how much weight savings off the shoe, exactly, is required to make this sacrifice worthwhile. I'll leave that to the scholars of biomechanical physics to determine, but as of yet I have not come upon any scientific test which lends any credibility to my thesis. As my little totally unscientific experience related above, I (with my small frame and skinny legs) believe that number to be at least 3 ounces, but I'm willing to belive it can be even less.

[Jc18star]

Not to be contrarian, but most respectfully, I doubt highly the difference between one jersey and the next, or one pair of shorts and the next, figures in affecting the aerodynamics such that it would inhibit speed/accleration on a soccer player.
Wind resistance acts exponentially to counter forward speed... aerodynamics are absolutely crucial in a race car.. but only as the speed rises to very high levels. Aero-streamlining a race car will pay higher dividends in pursuit of top speed than will increasing horsepower or lightening weight... but only because wind resistance is a huge inhibition at say, 180mph...

But the point is, wind resistance is infintesimally slight at say, 30mph. So, given the fastest player on the field can run no higher than about 19 mph at full tilt, aero counts for virtually nothing.. in any case it pales it comparison to the pusuit of a better power/weight ratio. Which is where stronger legs and lighter feet come in.

Power-to-weight... brute force in a light package... is the ironclad methodology of acceleration.

Anyway, i guess the sticking point of this debate is: how much weight savings off the shoe, exactly, is required to make this sacrifice worthwhile. I'll leave that to the scholars of biomechanical physics to determine, but as of yet I have not come upon any scientific test which lends any credibility to my thesis. As my little totally unscientific experience related above, I (with my small frame and skinny legs) believe that number to be at least 3 ounces, but I'm willing to belive it can be even less.

Ok maybe I used the terms aerodynamics out of context, but if your talking power to weight ratio then heavy wet tops and shorts that could add up to a few pounds of extra weight to a player over the course of the match. This would effect the players ability to burst with speed more than the very minor amount of weight difference that is found in say the vapor compared to the copa.

Oh I shot you some positive rep points as well................

[Jc18star]

I am not doubting that extra weight can slow someone down but the amount of weight difference in shoes that soccer players wear really will have no bearing on their speed.

If someone had their speed increased in a massive way by changing from a 10 ounce shoe to a 7 ounce shoe then they have the weakest legs on earth and wouldn be able to run and play anyway if you catch my drift...........