For the punters - Soccer Boots

I've had the privilege to work with the top sporting brands for well over a decade now. In my current role at Packer Leather, we have supplied some of the most innovative soccer boot leathers in recent times, especially the dual control leathers for Nomis. Currently in existence there are a number of different skin or hide types used as a basis for the vamps in soccer boots, each with certain benefits. Obviously K-Leather (which is an alternative branding name for kangaroo) holds the premier position due to it being incredibly light weight and super strong. The bovine (cow hide) type leathers are generally 40 - 50% thicker to gain enough strength to be robust enough to be used in the boots, and there have also been attempts with goatskin, sharkskin and others. On these base leathers we can build in many technologies to enhance the players performance, and one of the greatest benefits of all that I see in the future is that leather is ultimately a renewable resource, which is extremely pertinent in this day and age of a world that is chewing through non-renewable resources at a staggering rate. Synthetic leathers on the other hand are very 'hungry' of oil based products in their manufacture, and also struggle to mimic many aspects from genuine leather.

So I'd like to start out a session reviewing what it is that the 'punters' out there like about synthetics, and try to understand what it is that you would like to see in a football boot leather.

Looking forwards to your comments. Regards,

Dr Leather

Well here we go..............

I've read countless blogs over the last few years, and decided that it's time to have a play myself.

So, I hear you asking, what the hell is Dr Leather. Well actually it was the name of a software company I co-owned a few years back, but I figured it was time to resuscitate it. I've worked in the technical leather industry for 18 years now, and was trained by the best at Pittards in the UK, where I became the Innovations Manager in the gloving leather division. You might know some of the leathers they sell, which are featured in numerous big brand products from people like Titleist-Footjoy, Franklin, Nike, etc, and include Armortan, Microspike, Firebloc, Parados, and many more........ so the next time you put on your Footjoy sta-sof golf glove, or your Franklin baseball batting glove then spare a thought that some technology is in there most likely developed by me.

In 2002 I left and became Technical Director at Packer Leather in Australia, making athletic footwear leathers (mainly soccer boot leathers) for Nomis, adidas, Umbro, Nike, Puma, Mizuno, Asics and many more using the wonderful skin structure of the kangaroo. Oh.......I hear a lot of you say. KANGAROO's !!!!!!!! Well yes it is the source of many emotive responses, but over the coming weeks I hope I can try to educate a little bit more on this topic before anyone jumps in with some uninformed information.

In my time in the leather industry, I've managed to write a number of patents regarding use of technology in leather, become a Fellow of the Society of Leather Technologists & Chemists and hold numerous tertiary leather qualifications. In fact I've just finished my MBA in Leather Management, and am awaiting my final mark any day now.

Somehow I'd like to try to develop this blog into two sections - one for true leather professionals and associated trade professionals, and the other section to try to bring easy explanation to the 'punters' out there.

So, I'll sign off for now, but will be back soon.

Cheers,

Dr Leather