Proteas get their new boots

Cape Town - The Proteas’ trip to the adidas headquarters in Germany has been hailed an “eye-opening” success, with both the players and adidas staff giving positive feedback.

The four players who travelled to the Nuremburg-based outlet to have custom made playing boots designed were extremely impressed by the state-of-the-art technology used for the testing.

“It was a fantastic experience,” bowler, Lonwabo Tsotsobe said upon their return.

“As professional athletes, having the opportunity to be assessed by some of the most advanced machinery in the world is quite exciting.

“Bowlers put a lot of impact on their feet so it’s also reassuring for me to have these custom-made boots, hopefully they will work accordingly and can be beneficial in the long run.”

Rory Kleinveldt described some of the assessments and tests the players were put through in the laboratory.

“It was a really interesting and eye-opening experience, especially the high-tech labs they have built there, “Kleinveldt remarked.

“We were put through thorough testing to make sure the best possible boot can be designed.

“We completed high-speed tests, were captured via slow-motion cameras and even had our feet moulded,  which is something that none of us have experienced before. The staff at the facility were fantastic; huge thanks to adidas for accommodating us.”

Simon Cartwright, adidas Global VP for Cricket, emphasized the long term impact the visit from the Proteas will have.

“Bowling is an extremely high impact activity that puts a massive amount of strain on a cricketer’s body,” he said.

“Having the correct footwear is vital to ensure bowlers feel stable and safe throughout long bowling spells and can get on with their primary job of taking wickets - free from distractions and discomfort.

“The tests we did and the insights we gained from Rory, Lonwabo and Morne (Morkel) not only mean we can make them each better quality footwear, it means we can apply these learning’s to the adidas cricket boots we produce commercially for club and age group cricketers too,” he concluded.

The players will now await feedback from the assessments conducted, and the boots will be adapted according to the results. The players were also given insight into some of adidas’ upcoming innovations and kit models.

Proteas Test skipper Graeme Smith was the fourth player to visit the adidas headquarters.

Graeme Smith getting his feet moulded  - a key step in designing custom cricket boots at adidas headquarters  in Germany (File)