A few months ago, Nike presented a revolutionary goalkeeper glove that in many ways resembles a latex-like glove. This week, they officially went on sale.
Renewal
Nike aimed to make the traditional goalkeeper's glove lighter and more flexible. Moreover, the sports giant felt it was time that goalkeeper gloves could use some innovation and a bit more appreciation. The design has hardly changed over the last 20 years, resulting in the Nike Mercurial Touch Elite.
Nike's designers began the creation process by throwing out all the assumptions about what gloves should have. According to Nike, many things are just assumed when it comes to gloves, purely because they have always been there. Think (velcro) straps, padding on the upper, different components and so on. On the other hand, the design actually took important lessons from the hand shoes Nike has already made for many different sports (golf, surfing, baseball and American football). 'The result is a glove that has everything a goalkeeper needs and does not have what he does not need. An innovative design aimed at today's football.'
Lighter and thinner
The Nike Mercurial Touch Elite gloves look, fit and feel different from previous designs. By reducing the volume and stiffness of traditional gloves, the gloves have been designed in such a way as to extract the ultimate potential from the goalkeeper's hands. The strap has been replaced with a flexible wrist cuff that extends from the joint arm to the forearm for mobility and comfort.
The minimalist aesthetic of the glove is the result of a 66 per cent reduction in the number of components compared to the previous glove. And thanks to the removal of excess padding on the back of the hand, it is also 33 per cent lighter and 47 per cent thinner. Impact marks on the third and fourth knuckles form a barrier and will not coalesce, and they are close to the hand even at full extension.
Each glove is constructed with a one-piece cross. The high-grip palm offers Nike's proprietary ACC (All Condition Control) for controlling the elements. These features are designed to support both ball rescues and ball distribution.
"The first reaction is always:" Whoa! "Because they just look so different and cool," says English goalkeeper Jack Butland, who was part of the product testing process. "But it's only when you play in them that the performance benefits come through. I feel like I have a lot more control over these gloves and that they can help me progress to the next level. "
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: Nike
