Traction on artificial turf: development of a soccer shoe outsole

Abstract

Purpose: Official game play on high quality third-generation artificial soccer turf was approved by the FIFA already in 2004. However, it is still unknown how the ‘new’ surface affects traction requirements and thus potentially calls for specific footwear, especially with respect to the shoe outsole. This research project aimed to develop an artificial soccer turf outsole that provides very good traction performance to players. Methods: The whole project consisted of three phases that were carried out over three years: (I) status quo evaluation, (II) modified prototype testing, and (III) market comparison. In each phase an identical, comprehensive testing design, incorporating performance, perception and biomechanical testing procedures, was applied on FIFA 2-star artificial soccer turf. Four different shoe models were comparatively examined in each research phase and respective findings guided the selection of shoes for the following phase. Results: Soccer shoes that were traditionally designed for playing on natural grass were not (soft ground) or only limitedly (firm ground) suited for playing on artificial turf. Better traction performance on artificial soccer turf was achieved by usage of multiple and rather low studs being evenly distributed across the rearfoot and the forefoot areas. The final prototype shoe outperformed three commercially available artificial turf soccer shoes on the market at time of testing. Conclusion: This research provides an improved understanding of the mechanisms of artificial soccer shoe traction. Solid recommendations for the requirements of artificial soccer turf outsoles are stated, which generally confirm players’ intuitive choice of soccer footwear.