Luckily History? Adidas TechFit PowerWeb 2010 Football Kit Technology - In Detail
If you are a bit older, you surely know that Adidas has not always been about bringing back classic football boots & classic designs for their football kits. In fact, the brand were all about the future not less than 10 years ago. We take a look back the Adidas TechFit PowerWeb kit technology released ahead of the 2010 World Cup.
Back then, for the release of the 2010 World Cup jerseys in 2009, the Three Stripes surprised fans by releasing a cutting-edge kit technology designed to be lighter and better than previous kits - the Adidas TechFit PowerWeb technology.
Compression was introduced by adidas in the swimming category in 1998. It was used in the first full body swimsuit.
Adidas TechFit PowerWeb Fotball Kit Technology
TechFit PowerWeb is a cutting edge athletic apparel technology that improves muscular endurance and responsiveness, and reduces muscle vibration, ultimately maximizing the athlete’s performance. Through the use of compression fabrics and strategically placed TPU (Thermoplastic Urethane) bands, located in key areas to enhance muscle power, TechFit is proven to increase a player’s power by 5.3 percent*, vertical leap by 4 percent*, sprint speed by 1.1 percent* and enhance endurance by 0.8 percent*.
Adidas TechFit Compression uniforms offered the following advantages, among others:
- Increased body awareness and increased body awareness, which makes a better technique possible. Reduced muscle vibration and oscillation, reducing energy loss and muscle fatigue. Improved muscle recovery and less wear and tear during training.
- The Lycra Power® base material used by adidas at TechFit Powerweb enables industry-leading benefits of such compression. In addition, the a.i.t. team uses a combination of silhouettes and mesh inserts for maximum freedom of movement, breathability and comfort.
Powerweb
Powerweb is a series of force bands made of thermosplastic urethane (TPU bands) which are pressed onto the base layer of TechFit clothing. This technology is unique: the straps run along important muscle bundles, such as around the waist or above the knee, contract and expand in harmony with the muscles and function like feathers.
Each time an athlete moves, one muscle group contracts while the opposite muscle group expands. By also expanding, the TPU bands mimic this movement and store elastic energy. As soon as the stretched muscles contract, the band snaps back to the shorter length, restoring the stored energy and providing the athlete with more strength.
The worst thing about TechFit for many football kit fans was that the TechWeb straps created a weird effect on the back while also worsening the design on the front.
The Adidas TechFit kits were not used by all players. In fact, while many players used the Adidas TechFit football kits, only few player wore really tight jerseys (e.g. Robben).
The TechFit jersey as worn by the players on the pitch were specially packaged and retailed $150.
The other high-end Adidas kit technology of that time was called Adidas FORMOTION uniform.
FORMOTION is engineered to move naturally with the athlete’s body resulting in an ideal fit and comfort while in motion. It also features adidas CLIMACOOL technology which combines a moisture wicking fabric and mesh construction in the player’s highest heat zones to improve body ventilation and keep the athlete at optimum temperature. The FORMOTION uniform is designed to partner with traditional TechFit PowerWeb compression apparel.
In 2011, Adidas added the TechFit/PowerWeb system to their Campeon teamwear jerseys.
The Adidas TechFit technology with TechWeb straps was also used for the brand's EURO 2012 jerseys. It was less visible than before, luckily. For the 2012-13 season kits, it was not visible anymore.
What do you think of the Adidas TechFit football kits? Do you like that Adidas only used them with the eye-catching style until Summer 2012? Let us know in the comments below.
