Slipping because a huge chunk of the earth decided to give way the second you’re lining up for the thirty yard screamer? Yeah, that’s still going to happen. However, we do have a few thoughts and caveats to add.įirstly, we want to make sure that you understand that this technology only stops those slips that you’d experience because you had gotten too much garbage built up on the bottom of your boots. Considering our reticence to get on board with a technology that truly sounded too good to be true, we consider this a big-time win for Nike. After about an hour, the SG-Pro boots needed the mud picked from them about six times, while the Anti-Clog boots still looks like we had merely sprayed them with a water bottle (except for the upper that showed typical “one-hour-on-a-disastrous-pitch” level use). In fact, it had the sheen of a boot that had just come straight out the box.
The Anti-Clog boot? Apart from some small snippets of grass blades? Nothing. After about fifteen minutes of wear, the SG-Pro had managed to snag enough mud and grass to plant a pitch of our own in the office. We took to the pitch wearing Nike Anti-Clog boots while a teammate wore the SG-Pro plate on the same heavy pitch. Sounds bit sci-fi, right? Surprisingly, there has to be some truth to it because, well, it works a treat! As soon as the boot comes into contact with water, the plate forms a thin, liquid barrier between itself and anything that comes into contact with the boot. The change is in what Nike has done to the actual plate on the Nike Anti-Clog boots. Having used Nike’s SG-Pro set-up in the past on many occasions, newcomers to Anti-Clog won’t notice any real change. The biggest thing about Anti-Clog is that it isn’t a change to how long the studs are or how much grip a standard SG soleplate would provide. This is merely a tech addition to the soleplate and has zero bearing on comfort or feel for the ball. Just ask Steven Gerrard.Īfter getting in the Anti-Clog boots, the first thing we’d like to mention is that the boot sitting atop the soleplate is unchanged. The mud and loose grass quickly accumulates on the soleplate and, no matter how aggressive the studs happen to be, you'll no doubt find yourself on the deck at a crucial time, as you go to shoot or prevent the last man from going through on goal.
Still, any player knows that metal studs aren’t enough. No matter what your skill level is or what pair of boots you have on your feet, a soggy pitch immediately brings every player the same fear: am I going to slip? The closest fix that we’ve seen on the market, up to this point, is the addition of long metal studs to dig a bit deeper into the ground and provide better traction in wet conditions.
Step in Nike and their Anti-Clog technology. If you’ve got a Ferrari with poor tyres, you ain’t winning any races. However, one innovation that has remained untouched until now is addressing one of football’s most simple and common problems – clogged up soleplates. Over the past few seasons we’ve seen brands push the edge of the envelope and taking the boot world to the newest and greatest of heights.
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