For years the big sports brands have been battling over innovative football boots.  We have been fed information about ultra lightweight synthetic boots, comfort of natural leather, precision passing through groves and ridges, stud configuration, power enhancing boots...the list goes on.  Every manufacturer is locked in a battle to give the consumer and the modern player that edge to keep them ahead of the competition...or at least that's what they want us to think.

The football boot technology fad started in earnest back in the mid-nineties with the release of the original Adidas Predator and since then we have gone through lace-less boots, and many many versions of the "lightest boots in the world".  Most of the time I don't take much notice of what the boots claim to do, the important thing is they look good and do the job I want them for.  That is until now...on the 29th September Adidas announced the release of the F50 adizero boot with micoach, the worlds first smart boot.

Adidas originally developed the micoach technology for use in their running trainers, using a small sensor in the sole of the trainer to feed back speed and distance.  The top brass have now decided that they can transfer this to the world of football.  The F50 adizero has been made with a similar sensor in the sole which monitors and stores information on a players speed (top and average), number of sprints, distance run and at what intensity.  The boot can then store the information in its internal memory for up to 7 hours, during which time you can transfer it to your PC or laptop and analyse your performance...and obviously at only 173g, they tick the obligatory ultra-lightweight Adidas boot.

But that's not it, the information taken off the boot (which can be done wireless-ly) can then be compared on the website against other players (including some young chap by the name of L.Messi) and the iPhone App will provide users with the ability to view their performance in an Avatar style football video game.

I don't know about anyone else, but I got just a little bit excited when I read about these boots...and that was before I read the Avatar bit.

The price tag is a hefty £245 and it isn't the best looking boot in the world.  The adizero is due for release on 2nd December 2011, looks like I need to start saving the pennies...and find a team to play for.