While computer technology inside a shoe is nothing spectacularly new — you may remember Nike and Apple teaming up for their Nike + iPod device — rival shoe company Adidas is taking it a few steps further (pun thoroughly intended) with their latest soccer shoe.
Called the the Adidas Adizero f50, the latest version of Adidas’ line of soccer boots adds some nifty technology in the form of the miCoach Speed_Cell sensor. Basically this tiny device housed within the shoe can record a wealth of information and performance metrics including average and max speed, steps, stride rates, the number of sprints made, and finally –distance traveled. Once off the pitch, players can transmit their recorded data to a PC, Mac, or iPad via a separate USB dongle and assess those results on the miCoach website.
Looking to snag yourself a pair of the ‘boots with a brain’ ? Well if you can wait till November — and cough up $380 — they’re all yours, in the mean time check out the above pics of FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, showing off these new brand of ‘smartshoe’.