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The Order of the Boot - Part 2

Guest Post by Chicken Run Boy

Another company to enter the boot market at this time was the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory. Already known for athletics wear (their spikes were worn by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games), by the 1940s they’d become one of the leading makers of football boots. But a disagreement between brothers Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf in 1948 saw them break up the company, with the pair setting up rival brands. For his new company Adolf went the name route – Adi Das and Rudi a more inventive choice with Puma (I would’ve gone with ‘Bobby Dassler’s’ as a brand, but that’s just me). The two companies would go on to dominate the football boot market with that ill-feeling still smouldering in the 21st century.

In the Adidas version of history a crucial reason the Germans won their first World Cup in 1954 was their invention of their screw-in stud. Just before the 1954 World Cup Final in Switzerland, a downpour made the pitch slippery. The poor Hungarians could barely stand up but Adidas had kitted the German side out with the ‘Argentina’ – a boot with long screw in studs. They went on to record a 3-2 victory.

Remarkably, Rudi’s gang were issuing a press statement in 2005 rubbishing the old claim of Adidas, stating they have documents that prove that they were developing screw in studs as early as 1948. They say they made the first boot with interchangeable studs and a year before the World Cup triumph FC Kaiserslautern won the German Championship with seven of its players wearing their ‘Super Atom’ boots.

Picture credit: Puma

As a fan/worshipper of Adidas my natural inclination is to side with the three stripes, but as a supporter of Saracens and The New England Patriots I have ‘previous’ when it comes to backing those too economical with the truth. So, I continued my extensive research and can confirm Kaiserslautern did indeed win the league in 1953 and several of their players in the photos appear to be wearing the Puma ‘Super Atom’. Glad to clear that up.

Of course, the only important fact for football was that the design of boots was progressing at a pace. Around the time the Dassler’s were falling out, the growing trend among high-profile players was away from the heavy, protection-focused ankle boot, towards lightweight, low cut boots as preferred by South American stars, which improved control as well as speed.

One such star was Manuel Francisco dos Santos, best known simply as Garrincha (Little Bird). The Brazilian winger, whose career began in 1953, is widely regarded as one of the greatest dribblers the game’s ever seen and watching old footage, it’s easy to see how he gained that reputation. I was particularly struck by how ‘contemporary’ he appeared – the step overs and flicks would have Premiership crowds and Sky pundits jumping out their seats. I wanted to know whether there was a South American version of Puma that enabled Garrincha to torment left backs with such ease. Unfortunately, I found no such connection but what I discovered instead was a link to an Italian maker I’d never heard of.

Emidio Lazzarini was a wrestler who got upset with the terrible boots they give him to fight in. As he worked in his father’s cobblers in Ascoli in central Italy, he decided to make himself a pair of soft and comfortable boots to wear when in the ring. A footballer friend was impressed and complained about the hard leather boots he was forced to wear. This was Lazzarini’s light bulb moment and he was soon making boots out of soft calf leather and measuring the feet of every local Ascoli player for their individual pair.

Word spread and before long, news reaches King John. Perhaps the greatest all-round player the UK has produced, The Gentle Giant from Wales arrived in Turin in 1957 and became a superstar at Juventus. So when the great John Charles claimed the boots “were like wearing slippers” the world took notice. Inspired by Charles, the soft Pantofola D’Oro (Golden Slipper) was born and worn by Garrincha and Pukas amongst others greats.

Although Lazzarini’s company eventually went under (since revived), there are two things about this story that appeal. Lazzarini’s original success was quite opposite to the big manufacturing concerns. There was no big plan at the start, just a chance discovery and the artisanal skills taking the quality of boots to another level. The reaction of the players is interesting too – it also illustrates the crucial importance of the boot to the player and their desire to gain an edge. Give or take a pair of shin pads, the boots are all they have, kit wise. The boot is the single tool of their trade and they take it very seriously as a result.

Another legendary goalscorer from the 1950s made the same point in his autobiography, just with a different perspective. Coalminer and Centre Forward Jackie Milburn used to wear a new pair of boots down the pit where conditions were often wet. Even after he became a full-time professional footballer he still used this strategy. He rejected the lightweight boots given to him by the England management in 1950:

“I always wore a size-six football boot even though my feet were size eight, so I used to break in a new pair by wearing them without socks and soaking them in cold water to mould them to my feet. I always preferred heavier soles to put some clout in my shots. Those new lightweights weren’t for me.”

Milburn was displaying a professionalism and focus lacking elsewhere in an era of amateurish organisation. But despite ‘Wor Jackie’s’ preference, the game was going lightweight as technological developments continued into the 1960s with lower cut designs to allow players to move faster. The first half of the decade also saw several other football boot makers joining the market with their own brands and styling including Mitre (1960), Joma (1965) and Asics (1964).

Perhaps driven by the intense rivalry with Puma, it was Adidas leading the market and by the 1966 World Cup Final was supplying boots to an astonishing three quarters of all the players, including our own Sir Bobby who favoured the Adidas Diamant. Boot endorsement deals were becoming quite normal in an increasingly competitive market, as makers thought up strategies to test the might of Adidas. Puma may have lacked in overall player numbers but succeeded in tying up deals for several of the biggest names in the game including superstars Eusebio and Pele, with both players high profile wearers of the Puma Kings.

The boot endorsement really hit the big time during the 1970 World Cup Final when Pele trousered a $125,000 cheque for wearing the Kings. The Brazilian infamously asking the referee for a moment so he could tie his laces, guaranteeing that the TV cameras were pointed at his sponsored boots during his side’s stunning win over Italy. I’ve done the maths and in today’s money that’s roughly £670,515.28. Welcome to the modern game.

Picture: Pele advertising Puma Kings

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