Nike, Asics shoes vulnerable to abrasion

By Yoon Ja-young

Some football shoes by top brands like Asics, Nike and Mizuno have turned out to be vulnerable to abrasion. Mizuno football shoes were also likely to stain socks.

The Consumer Network for Public Interest, a local NGO, released a consumer report on football shoes, Tuesday. It tested 13 models of football shoes from eight brands _ Adidas, Umbro, New Balance, Puma, Nike, Kika, Mizuno, and Asics. They were manufactured in China or Southeast Asia. Prices ranged from 63,200 won to 108,000 won.

“As Koreans have more leisure time and focus on healthy lifestyles, team sports activities such as football and baseball are becoming popular. Football equipment is especially expanding the consumer base, with football clubs booming around communities and at workplaces,” the NGO noted in the report.

According to the Korea Football Association, there are more than 1 million Koreans enrolled in around 40,000 football clubs across the country. Targeting the huge market, global brands have been promoting the fact the football shoes were made with the most advanced technologies.

The consumer group, however, showed that some brands of football shoes fall short of consumer expectations in terms of quality. The products by Asics, Nike and Mizuno were poor in anti-abrasion. The shoestrings of Adidas products were strong, while those of New Balance football shoes were notably weak.

In the durability test where football shoes were continuously bent, six pairs showed adhesion damage. They were Adidas, Nike, Kika, New Balance, Mizuno and Umbro.

The soles of the shoes were also examined to see how much they wear out after walking. Nike shoes wore out most while Adidas and Mizuno shoes wore out the least.

All the shoes tested by the consumer group turned out to meet safety standards in terms of not being made of hazardous substances such as formaldehyde.

The consumer group also advised consumers to try on the shoes before purchasing them. “Football shoes often cause pain as they don’t perfectly fit each consumer’s feet. It is better to purchase football shoes at shops after trying them on instead of buying them online.”