new project, 8.4 PIO FGX

Ok guys,

the latest football boot from humel is about launch soon and ive just posted some first pics and info on my blog,

http://pullover.blogspot.com/2006/12/hummel-84-pio-fgx.html


Thought I would also take the opportunity to share here as well.

Ill be posting some design sketches and process work in the next few weeks on my blog (and here too if I have time), so check back soon.

Also, more info to come.

Any comments, or questions on the boots are also more than welcome.

Cheers,

R

Some heat there man. I love all the little lux details, like the lasered repeat pattern. Reminds me of Gucci, but not in a literal way.

I like how the medial side has variable lacing and the lateral has a single row, a nice simple detail.

Beautifully clean! Great work!

those boots a beautiful the only problem id have is i would be afraid to get them dirty :laughing:

those boots a beautiful the only problem id have is i would be afraid to get them dirty :laughing:

Being a soccer player, I really appreciate a good looking boot, which this definately is, but my concern is longevity. I understand that these were designed to be a luxury boot, but won’t the laser-etched pattern cause the leather to wear more quickly? I have noticed over the years that no matter how well you take care of your boots, the leather at the tip of the toe shows signs of wear almost immediately. Nevertheless, this is a gorgeously boot with the technology to match. Great work!

Yo, thanks man.

actually around the office all the sales people refer to boot as the “gucci bee” style. ha. obviously a bit of inspiration there, but being in performance football i think takes it to new level.

Glad you noticed some of the details like the lacing. Its actually a feature we started in our previous boot the 8.2 Concept FG for a functional customization fit story and have now taken further in this model.

Most exciting of all, along the same fit feature story is a new heat moldable sockliner. You put the insole in the oven for 2min at 100C and then back in the boot and it forms to your foot.

all in all, a great project to work on with really free reign. We of course also have a more traditional colorway version of this boot (blk/silver), but for me, this is what does it. ive even considered wearing the cleat on the street! ha!

In general it was a really great design brief i created and tried to work with, making a performance + lifestyle product that is at the same time minimal (no plasticky injection pieces and overly techy details) and over the top (the monogram bee pattern, and gold details).

thanks for the props,


In response to the durability, what we have acutally found in testing (with pro players), is that the laser etching doesnt make much difference to the durability of the boot. I dont have the exact spec here, but the laser etching is just to a nominal depth into the surface of the leather. As it is Goat Skin Leather, the top surface, the Corium is actually much thicker than in standard full grain or kangaroo. This lets us get comporable durability even though we are sarcificing some of the top skin layer. The Goat Skin is also 5x more abrasion resistant than K, which helps overall.

As for getting the boots dirty for vanity’s sake, I’d agree with you 100%. Im the kinda guy who keeps all my shoes nice and clean and could never stand to get the usual wear and tear on something like this.

cheers,


R

Very cool & very pretty. This boot seems ideal for a talented pro who can dust off a new pair for every game. It looks too high maintenance for me though.

I don’t think i am a good enough player to wear a boot like this because flashy white & gold boots tell a lot about how confident and arrogant a player is. You have to be seriously good to turn up to the pitch with these on or else you will end up looking like a proper wanker.

How much will these retail at? they look very pricey.

I am really interested in approaching footwear through the exploration of new materials, so I am interested in how you choose goat skin for this project. Has goat skin been used readily in footwear, especially in applications where durability is an issue? Does goat skin leather cost much more than kangaroo leather? I kind of understand the price jump from full grain to kangaroo from the soccer cleat market. Also, do you know how you measure 5x more abrasion resistant? Maybe the amount of pressure needed to scratch something…

I def could see this on the street, a simple low profile rubber outsole ( like this: http://www.soccerworldcentral.com/images/nike-basic-shoes.jpg or http://www.zappos.com/images/759/123759/1729-74108-t.jpg ) on the same upper and your good to go with a street version…

That home moldable sockliner is a pretty sweet little item… pricey in the FOB?

^michael

mogus,

For sure I can understand your sentiments. Our whole line plan strategy actually adresses that, making different boots for different types of “character” players. We have a 4-series boot (4.2) for a more traditional, understated kind of player, a 6-series boot (6.2) for the “rock-star” confident player, and an 8-series boot (8.4) for the technical player. It was my decision to take this route over the standards “performance” (ie. weight, player position, etc.) categorization to better get in touch with what every player actually thinks about.

When you consider that a boot is the only piece of equipment a player can choose (the jersery + is decided by the uniform), it makes sense to be able to instill some personal and mental confidence to the player as required.

The PIO series is a mash-up of sorts taking one type (ie. technical) and adding exlcusive/lux elements. we also have a PIO version of the 4.2 in military spec camo. retro/classic with a twist, if you will.

ScriptD,

The use of Goat Skin is for the moment exclusive to hummel for football boots. We started working in collaboration with Pittards (UK) about 3 years ago to look for alternatives and superior materials to Kangaroo and full grain for a variety of reasons. Goat Skin performs in standard (martinadale, etc.) tests to show the 5x better abrasion resistance. It is also in many tests much better in breathability and other performance indicators.

Yo,

  1. we do actually have in the works a “street” version of something similar. stay tuned for workd from FW07.

  2. the heat sockliner certainly isnt cheap, but functionally speaking its well worth it. Fit is one of the most important characteristics for a pro or otherwise player, and can ultimately mean more than weight, traction or other factors. About 3x a normal performance insole in FOB terms.

But if the boot fits…

:slight_smile:

will hummel be making a lower end price of this style, maybe with printed logos on the upper. and by lower end i mean $45-65 range. i like to try different company’s boots (right now i like kelme for their fit) but hummel boots are all pretty pricey ($100+) for a rec player. i would wear these just for the look, and i know i have no skills.

they are pretty.

another thing, how much goes into the cleat design/position and the actual stud shapes? there are some boots that, to me, seem to have studs that are too blocky and wouldnt be as efficient as could be. just interested?

Beautyful work, I like the balance of fashion and performance on the boot. I believed that’s a very important part of hummel as abrand. Do you think you can show us pictures of one that has benn worn for testing or someting like that, My bet is that this will be one of those items where tear and wear wil show surprigsinly good. It may Indeed look better as you wear it! Just a thought.

hey Richard,nice shoes,really really nice

You have to be seriously good to turn up to the pitch with these on or else you will end up looking like a proper wanker

Hahahahahaha…I know exactly what you mean…

Damn where can I buy hummel wear in the states

not sure, actually. Lots of our products used to be on soccer.com, but I am not sure if they picked up the latest collection. You can alsways try to contact them by phone/email and see.

glad u like.

cheers.

R

Very nicely detailed. The heat moldable aspect is interesting too. My hockey skates got to go into the oven and bake for 15 min for an initial fit. It reduces the break-in time immensely. I wonder if the outsole of a soccer boot might benefit from some heat molding as well…so it would literally match the underside of your foot.

p.s. I love to slide tackle guys who wear boots like these. :slight_smile:

Yes, the technology is used commonly in other footwear products like skates, ski boots and snowboard boots. Also insoles for pro athletes. To my knowledge though there havent been any football boots for mass market sales with this technology built in (there are a few off the shelf accessory products).

From our tests with athletes, it really does help the fit and performance. With the custom molded sockliner, there is greater surface contact between the foot and insole and the entire boot, which reduces a lot of stud pressure and blisters. You can imagine that especially for a sport where boots are such an important piece of equipment, fit is really key.

You thoughts about a custom molded outsole are interesting. Not sure how exactly that would work, but for sure customization would could improve performance.

R

Congrats on the Studio Bullit RK

http://www.core77.com/bullitts/2007/01/Hummel-8.4-PIO-FGX-football-boot.asp?current_bullitt_id=522

cheers, thanks,

didnt see that!

R