Lionel Messi is the face behind football's latest revolutionary masterpiece: the boot with a brain.
the Barcelona superstar has spent months developing the world’s first intelligent football boot with manufacturers adidas, which could now take the game by storm.
The boots record player-specific data with an innovative miCoach Speed Cell chip placed in the cavity of the outsole, which captures 360 degree movements and measures key performance metrics such as speed and distance.
The boots – which store data including: speed, average speed, maximum speed, number of sprints, distance, distance at high intensity levels and active time for up to seven hours after a match or training – transmit on-pitch information to tablets, PCs and Macs using a wireless link.
Despite costing £245 – including the chip – the boots are set to prove to be popular with amateur players who will be able compare their stats to professional stars like Messi for the first time.
Adidas will also be releasing a free app to coincide with the boot launch that allows consumers to see their abilities in an Avatar-form in a football video game environment.