Adidas's 'soccer shoe with a chip' goes for sale at $338

Popular sports gear maker, Adidas has devised an unique method, or a gear, we'd say to steer clear of all competition it has been facing in this sphere, especially of the one coming from archrival, Nike, reports Bloomberg Businessweek. Soccer shoes, reportedly have been Adidas's domain since the 1920s, and now, in a bid to further cement their position, Adidas has introduced soccer shoes with an embedded 8g chip called Speed Cell, confirms the report. 

Adidas's soccer shoe with a chip

The report further states that this shoe has already been popularized by two-time FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi in an exhibition game in September. The soccer shoe hit shelves across Latin America, Europe, and Asia on November 15th, this year and in a couple of days from now, i.e. on December 1, 2011, enthusiasts in U.S will find it on shelves across their country, too.

The soccer shoe, reportedly is a version of  Adizero f50, which was introduced in 2010 and was touted to be the lightest on the market. It reportedly weighed only 165 grams for a men’s size - 8.5. The star, however is the tiny chip, which lies embedded in the shoe. Called Speed Cell, the chip, according to its description on Adidas's official site, "miCoach SPEED_CELL can give you the definitive score on how you measured up. With up to 8 hours worth of speed, acceleration, distance and pace data, the SPEED_CELL answers the question of who’s fastest, once and for all. It fits invisibly in miCoach compatible boots or shoes (and comes supplied with a lace clip for everything else)."

The soccer shoe with the embedded Speed Cell (Image credit: Official website of Adidas)

Here's a quick look at what the Speed Cell is all about: 

• Power Supply: Replaceable CR2032 lithium battery
• Battery Life: >5 months (5 x 1h workouts per week)
• Weight: In-Shoe: <9g (incl. battery), w/ Lace Clip: <10g (incl. battery)
• Size In-Shoes: 35.0mm L x 24.8mm W x 8.1mm H
• Size with Lace Clip: 44.8mm L x 29.2mm W x 13.5mm H
• RF Protocol: ANT+TM protocol, ANT FS (2.4 GHz)
• Effective Range: >2.5m in lace position (dependent on receiver)
• Data Memory Capacity: 7-8 active hours
• Calibr. Speed/Dist. Accuracy: Walk 97 percent, Jog 98 percent, Run 97 percent

The miCoach Speed Cell (Image credit: Official website of Adidas)

Interestingly, miCoach the technology behind this also allows the player to sync wirelessly from the pitch via miCoach Connect and share your achievements by putting the results onto your iPhone. The Speed Cell enabled soccer shoe comes with a price tag of $338, but, this package includes the shoes, a speed chip, and software to analyze the data on a smartphone or computer. To know more about Adidas's Soccer shoe with a chip, click here.

While we're nothing short of impressed, we still wonder how effective Speed Cell will be for soccer players, since the kind of movements will vary. Do let us know your comments in the section below.