SPORTS-FEB10-P22:SGBGolf_NEW_template 2/2/10 10:28 Page 22
Field Report
Lotto ‘Zheros’ in on World Cup
Lotto Sport Italia is raising the stakes in the
build-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup with
the introduction of its Zhero
Gravity Ultra football
boot. Robin Barwick
reports
I
t was prior to the 2006 World Cup that
“
The new boot is
equipment, and it had identified the danger to
Lotto Sport Italia became the first brand to footballers of having absolute grip between the
launch a football boot without laces, the
currently being trialled
soles of their football boots and the turf, due to
Zhero Gravity – a boot so sleek it seemed
such a shame to get it muddy – and four by a quartet of Lotto’s
the rapid acceleration, deceleration and changes
of direction that are integral to football.
years on, the Italian company is maintaining
its dedication to innovation, by launching its
international players –
Tests carried out by Pavia’s lab and Lotto
showed that the crucial point for balance and
next generation, the Zhero Gravity Ultra.
England’s Glen
thrust of the athlete during change of direction is
The new boot is currently being trialled by a
quartet of Lotto’s international players – Johnson, Italy’s
England’s Glen Johnson, Italy’s Giuseppe Rossi,
Spain’s Joan Capdevilla and Sidney Govou of
Giuseppe Rossi,
France.
Spain’s Joan Capdevilla
“We have made a special pair for Glen, [with] a
slightly different fit on each foot,” Allan Cope, and Sidney Govou of
UK country manager for Lotto Sport Italia, tells
Sporting Goods Business. “He has been testing
France
out the shoes, but unfortunately he has been
injured for the past few weeks.” the World Cup is yet to be sealed,
”
Ultra performance: Lotto’s
Cope confirms
Zhero Gravity Ultra will be
While the Zhero Gravity Ultra’s participation at to SGB that UK retailers can look forward to
delivered to retail in May
receiving deliveries in May, and to subsequent
sales at an RRP of £150. situated under the root of the first metatarsal,
and it is here, on the outsole of the Zhero Gravity
Reactive material Ultra, where a ‘Twist ‘n Go’ rotating stud is
One of the new features of the Zhero Gravity located. Tests have shown that the rotating stud
Ultra is Lotto’s Reactive Arch, which is a flexible, enables players to quicken their change of
concave sole designed to move in unison with the direction, reduce the risk of injury and maintain
transversal arch of the foot. Lotto promises that better balance during rotation.
the new sole provides improved cushioning to
reduce stress on the foot, and a wider surface No strings attached
area should increase stability. The Reactive Arch is The advantage of a football boot without laces
also designed to encourage the elastic return of is that players receive improved feel of the ball
the foot after each step, thereby enhancing through an unimpeded upper, and the slight
sporting performance and reducing fatigue. irregularity to accuracy that can be caused by
laces is also eradicated by the Zhero Gravity Ultra.
Doing the twist And as for the mud, well, it struggles to stick to
It should be no surprise that from the original these boots, thanks to the microfibre upper that
Zhero Gravity model, Lotto has kept its patented Lotto assures is hydro-repellent and anti-abrasion.
‘Twist ‘n Go’ concept in the updated Ultra. The Zhero Gravity Ultra is available in
‘Twist ‘n Go’ is a concept created by an all- White/Metal Blue Night and Black/Bright White,
Best foot forward: Liverpool and England star Glen
Italian collaboration, between Lotto Sport Italia and each pair comes in a boot bag made from
Johnson has made a habit of streaking up the right
and the Micro Calculations laboratory at the the same microfibre as the boots themselves.
S
wing in Lotto’s original Zhero Gravity boots
University of Pavia. The lab specialises in
identifying injury risks from defects in sports www.lottosport.com
22 SGB SPORT FEBRUARYL 2010
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