I fully agree with this. I sometimes play, and train on AG. However, I don't feel "safe" wearing FG stud patterns since I injured my ankle ligaments a few seasons back. I can also feel my body generally taking a bigger beating whenever I use a regular boot.
Hey guys, I know it might not be the right thread but I'm trying to track down a pair of the old under armour 4d insoles? I'm sure i saw them on rakuten once upon a time but I wanted to see if they were still out there. Anyone have any information or have a link handy? Cheers
thanks mate. any other sites you know of? dont wanna have to buy 10 pairs of UA just for the insoles haha
Just got the shoe care kit from mizuno what's the best way to use it ? I'm guessing shoe cleaner with brush then cream and oil with the felt?
I'm having a hard time coming up with something that will move the brand forward. I think I've read somewhere that Mizuno has 3 focuses: innovation, mij, and leather. They do the latter 2 well enough, but their innovation could do with a speed boost. I think there's limited opportunities in innovating a leather upper compared to synthetic, so maybe their attention has to turn to the soleplate. The big problem is that in Japan they play on 3 surfaces: FG, AG, and dirt, so companies have to compromise with their soleplates to ensure they're suitable on all of them. This doesn't allow for much variation in design, and so restrains innovation. One possible solution is to drastically change the Neo. First off, it is just too similar to the Morelia so they're targeting largely overlapping parts of the market. Secondly, with the Morelia and incoming Rebula covering all 3 surfaces, it frees the Neo to specialize into an aggressive FG speed boot. And lastly, Adidas has shown that you can get away with building an aggressive FG plate(sprintframe) and marketing it as FG/AG. So what would the Neo become? My vision is basically a better quality leather vapor that has the durability to last on AG. So my advice to Mizuno: put blades on it, make it full leather, and go full Nike on that soleplate. Oh yeah, release an AG version of this new Neo for people who find the FG studs too aggressive on AG. Edit:Regarding the American market, I think this new Neo is more in line with what Americans like. Soccer.com prices on the Morelia are outrageous. Bring the prices in line with what the Japanese are paying. Keep the lasting the same as the Japanese market. I think in America Mizuno is generally seen as producing wider shoes, giving those who cannot fit into shoes by the big brands a viable alternative.
Yeah its difficult to figure out where the brand can improve. They have a lot of good things going already in terms of product. To your point on the Neo. I agree that they could do a more aggressive speed boot especially given the US market but knowing Mizuno, they would rather create a whole new silo instead of changing the Neos.
I severely disagree with this, speed boots is old news anyway and is hardly innovative anymore they have tried their own vapors with vapors (although still quite different) and have not succeeded. Mizuno neos seem to be pretty popular in here. But that is my just my opinion. I think mizuno should use the ID thing as a usp and take it further than Nike and adideas with more soleplates, personal sizes and custom ideas. Morelia is designed to give each player the most custom fit possible so it's already pretty personal Wonder what the Rebula is gonna be like!
Mizuno isn't going to attract market share unless they sign players. Further innovative for marketing buzz would be a mistake, Mizuno is different in that the brand has products that can hardly be improved upon, they are that good. Bring back all leather wave cups, keeps quality high and look to expand outreach by signing clubs and players. Anything else would be a betrayal - we don't need gimmicks to love Mizuno, we love Mizuno because they don't put marketing above quality. The Japanese culture is slow to change, it sticks with what works and this company should continue to be a Japanese company, modeling the very best of its culture.
if i'm not mistaken, mizuno does not pay insane $ to sponsor players..... i suppose not many pros want to endorse mizuno if he can make more $ from the other brands but i cud be wrong.....pardon me! indeed, more choices on personalisation wud be great
Correct - Mizuno doesn't pay for big endorsements. That's my point, kids want to wear what the stars wear and the stars have a finite career to maximize earnings. Unless Mizuno did something drastically different, they are never going to appeal to the mass market for anything more than a brief hipster moment. There's a reason Nike and Adidas pay millions to players and clubs. It's for marketing which has to be backed by sales. Very different than what Mizuno is doing.
in fact, i was informed that the production cost of their top tier - morelias for example, is high......margins is not a whole lot....... which means, we're paying what we're getting for - genuine top quality materials and superb workmanship; not the marketing and endorsement fees!
Honestly, I do not feel sorry for anyone who does not get off the Nike-Adidas axis. People know that there are a lot manufacturers that produce soccer shoes... but as a portrait of the current society, they prefer to remain in a scenario where, they imagine, there is only Nike-Adidas... They will probably die without knowing what it is to wear an exceptional quality boot...
I'm about to put some shorter studs in my Morelia SI's, as the ones they come with are a bit too long for my taste. I have been meaning to do this for ages. I think the default ones are 15mm (front)/18mm (back). I have looked on Rakuten and found some official Mizuno aluminium tipped ones that are 13mm/16mm, and also some Mizuno Nylon ones that are 11mm/13mm. Before I order them all the way from Japan does anyone know if these are available for purchase anywhere in the UK or Europe? I know I can put any standard studs in them, but Pro Direct are out of stock of the ones I was going to order, and also due to the Morelias having 4 studs in the front instead of the standard 2 I would have to order 2 boxes of any generic non-Mizuno studs. thanks!
It also depends on what the company is looking to do going forward. If they want to grow their presence in the US and Europe then they would need to invest more in player endorsements. Sales were down in the US and the UK last year (for the brand as a whole, not just soccer) so they can make up some of that shortfall if they increase their football presence in some markets. Also Mizuno is SUPER reliant on the Japanese market for sales. A little under half of their total sales last financial year came in Japan. They cannot only rely on that market. If they want to increase sales they need to look over seas more and more. This goes for their football line. The US is now one of the single largest soccer markets in the world in terms of dollars spent, mostly because FG boots are sold far more in the US than Indoor and Turf boots and since the price points are higher on the FGs, more money is made. Also, I saw the new Monarcida 2 and Monarcida 2 Neo at SSKamo today. They feel awesome!!
new Monarcida 2 and Monarcida 2 Neo to be on sale at rakuten from 11-Mar onwards.....pre-order is available in a few rakuten stores....