adidas today launched the ‘adidas lab’, the first in a series of innovation events that will showcase adidas products of the past, present and future. The first event will focus on innovation in football and is taking place over the UEFA Champions League Final weekend at Victoria House, London. From the 24th May to the 27th May football fans will be given the chance to test unseen products first-hand in a range of high-tech interactive experiences.
From its revolutionary Copa Mundial and Predator boots, to the iconic Telstar durlast, the official match ball for the 1970 FIFA World Cup™, adidas has remained at the cutting edge of football. The ‘adidas lab’ celebrates adidas’ continued commitment to pushing the boundaries in performance technologies, and provides a unique insight to the leading sportswear company’s future journey.
The ‘adidas lab’ will focus on four leading innovations, where fans will be able to take part and test their skills. Visitors will get to experience the miCoach Elite Team System and the adidas Smart Ball, as well as getting a first glimpse of the 630g kit and 99g boot.
As part of the ‘adidas lab’, fans will also have access to ‘The Track’, a ground-breaking real time data visualisation experience that tests footballing attributes on a 15m Astroturf track by measuring speed, work rate and skill across three running challenges. As consumers take part their movement and vital stats dramatically come to life on the screens as they run past.
Herbert Hainer, CEO of adidas Group commented: “The ‘adidas lab’ is a fantastic opportunity for us to show fans the innovation, imagination and technological expertise that adidas consistently delivers at the cutting edge of football. Our pursuit of innovation is also a key success factor for our Group. It ensures that we continue to strengthen our market position in the global sporting goods industry.”
Footballing legend Zinedine Zidane said, “I have been working with adidas for 17 years and throughout my career I have always known they have been leading the way when it comes to innovation in football. The adidas lab shows how the brand is shaping the future of football and is a great chance for fans to see it with their own eyes.”
All four innovations are being displayed so fans can interact with the new products and get a glimpse into the future of football:
99g Boot
adidas created the game-changing adizero f50 and now they have taken it to the next level with a new lightweight boot that weighs a mere 99g. The revolutionary boot, rigorously tested, has been created in adidas’ speed range, adizero. Players wearing the new boot will be lighter and faster than ever giving them that physical and psychological advantage of speed. Fans will be given a preview of the product with it displayed mid-air in a capsule to convey the unique lightness of the boot. They will also be able to pick up and examine a prototype to experience first-hand the feather-weight lightness of the boot before a limited number being made available to the public in 2015.
adidas Smart Ball
In football, every touch counts. The adidas Smart Ball has been designed to improve technique, power, spin and accuracy through automated coaching system. After three years of development, adidas has created a ball with in-built sensors that track its movement and feed the information back to the player through an app on their phone. The app is built around four key sections that help improve players’ technique through immediate analysis, direct feedback, a series of challenges and a record book. Smart Ball is set for release in 2014, but fans visiting the ‘adidas lab’ will have the chance to test it out with three shots against a giant interactive Wall that projects their impact and results immediately.
miCoach Elite Team System
This new adidas product is the first system of its kind that uses physiological data in real time sending it straight to a coach’s tablet on the side-line. The system not only provides real-time insights during training, but tracks total training impact, collects and manages data and is highly portable. The state of the art system measures everything from power, speed and distance to heart rate, acceleration and field position, allowing key insights into player performance and work rate, helping teams achieve and maintain peak physical performance.
630g Kit
adidas is changing the way football is played and this new kit is a vital part of that. Released in 2015, a full adidas team kit will weigh just 630g, including shirt, shorts, socks, shin pads and boots. The minimalistic vest-shaped top layer will only carry name and numbering. Beneath this players will wear a base layer that is fully integrated into the miCoach Elite team system. The shorts are made from a four way stretch breathable lightweight woven fabric, while the shin pads are integrated into the lightweight compression sock. And using a framed composite skin construction and a light weight outsole, the boots will weigh just 99g each, making them the lightest football boots ever. The adidas lab will offer consumers an exclusive first glimpse of this cutting edge kit.
