Blind football Japan national team · Kato Kenito challenges to wear popularity spikes and rank! Vol.3 "I feel like I came to the world of spikes after 10 years and 20 years with a time machine. "

Vol.1 is here
vol.2 is here


Set in Japan's biggest soccer shop "Futaba Sports Omiya store", blind soccer Japan national team Kenichi Kato challenges to wear a popular spike. Trial wear & scoring done in the fitting area in the store to the middle stage fight.

Following the three legs we sent last time was the white × black of Puma "Parameco" boasting a long seller since 1985.
Kato, a member of the Japanese national blind football team, which is played by players who are completely blind, seemed to recognize the Paraméxico the moment he picked it up.

- Next, it is a very familiar spike.

 

Kato"Take this (pick up the spike) this already, that's Puma's" 

--It's the nostalgic Paraméxico.

Kato"Has this remained unchanged since the old days?"

—You haven't changed at all.

Kato"(Wearing the spikes) These feel soft inside."

--The insole is soft?!



Kato"This sponge cake, or rather, this cake batter, has a gentle feel to it. It's really nice... yeah. It feels like you're being gently embraced."

-- Some people say that the Paraméxico is a bit heavy.

Kato"It doesn't feel like they've made it unnecessarily light. It feels like this is what spikes should be like."

- Nike had 100 points, how many points is it? 



Kato"I'm over 100. I'm going crazy." 

- Then, let me point it to 100 points and let me score off from there. 

Kato"Well, then Tiempo is 95 points." 　


Puma "Parameco" will be 100 points, and the spikes scored so far will be minus 5 points.

The result of scoring so far - 

Puma "Parameco" 100 points
Nike "Tiempo (Legend HG-E)" 95 points
Adidas "X (16.1 JAPAN HG)" 50 points
New Balance "Furon (Furon 2.0 PRO HG D)" 45 points 　

Next, Kato picked up the Nike Magista (Opus 2 HG – E), a shoe designed for aggressive playmakers.

One of the features is the inside and outside protrusions which improve the ball control accuracy.
 

Kato"(Picking up the spikes) What kind of leather is used for these?"

--This is "Kangalite artificial leather," which aims to replicate the fit of natural leather.
Kato"It is said that this sense of rugosity (with spikes) is unknown only by wearing it.It is artificial.I am a little cramped now, so if you wear it is a bit bigger size.

Ah, this might be a bit difficult in blind football."

—Why?

Kato"(Touch the ball with a spike and touching it) This feeling of this boat It makes sense only by the movement (protrusions) move a lot.」  

--What about the scores?



Kato"I'd say it's third. I think the shape is better than Adidas's ("X16.1 JAPAN HG"), regardless of size. I'd also like to ask the person who designed it why there are protrusions. But I'd give it about 60 or 70 percent..."

--About 70 points?

Kato"I'll give myself 65 points... (laughs)"

Subsequently appeared, ASICS "DS Lite X - FLY 3" White × Black. It is a popular model that adopted kangaroo leather for the forefoot part and microfiber for the hind feet.

 

Kato"I do not know whether this way of saying (wearing a spike) is good, but there is a sense of stability in a classic way, it is a feeling like" spike. "Yes, comfort is unexpectedly consistent with my width.

This ... ... I will wear it. Even before I wore ASICS, it is easy to wear. But as you score, the difference between 2nd and 3rd is difficult. " 

- I am not the first place. Do not you oppose Parameco? 

Kato"...Yes, the Paraméxico feels better when you wear them."

—You said the Paraméxico shoes were "gentle" when you first tried them on. How do you feel about these?

Kato"This might be normal. The Paraméxico fabric is kind of like a towel, and it felt really nice."

- Then, Parameco 1st is unchanged. How long is this ASICS?


 
Kato"I'd like to be in second place, please."　

Asics "DS Lite X - FLY 3" broke into 2nd place, so Tiempo ranked 3rd and the scoring dropped to 90 points.  　

Trial wear continues steadily. What appeared here is the emerging under armor "Crackhead Force (2.0 HG JP)" in the football spike world that was not supposed to try on.

Again under armor, so quickly appeared. Adopted clutch fitting technology of its own material to the upper, evaluation of the spike pursued a fit feeling is fulfilled.
 

Kato"(Wearing the spikes) I can really feel the jaggedness of the insole. It's similar to the New Balance shoes I tried on earlier. The shape is perfectly wearable, but the feeling inside... I can feel it. There's a bit of discomfort with the insole, but everything else feels good, so I guess this is about right."　

Well, this last spike is "Mercurial Veeper (HG-V)" from the Nike "Mercurial" series which emphasized the propulsive power to the vertical.

Actually, these spikes were chosen as the number one choice by Shin Fujiwara in the "Most Fatiguing Soccer Cleats for Running 10km" competition, a project organized by KING GEAR called "The Long-Distance Runner's Musings." So, what will the reaction be from the Japanese blind soccer national team players?!

- Next, here is the model of this model combined with a scooter.
 

Kato"(Putting on the spikes) Hmm, I still feel like it's going to be difficult... But it fits surprisingly well. Since there's no tongue, it feels like my feet are being cradled."

--The impression seems good.

Kato"Yes, they're easy to put on and comfortable. Not in terms of playing. It's more like, 'Oh, there are shoes like this too.'"

—In a way, it's like Mr. Kato (who wore studded soccer cleats until high school) has traveled back in time to the world of cleats 10 or 20 years in the future, isn't it?

Kato"Haha (laughs). That might be true. I was wearing training shoes, but I don't have anything like this."

—Do you find the small cuts on the upper part uncomfortable?



Kato"It feels a bit strange, but it's not a bad kind of strangeness. ...But this is difficult, this 'new feeling' (laughs)."

—But you don't seem to dislike it.

Kato"Yes, I don't like it when things shift around inside my shoes. Sometimes, depending on how you tie your shoelaces, the tongue can get all messed up and shift around, which feels weird. It seems like this one won't have that problem. ...It's hard to rank them. But I was impressed by how easy they are to wear, so I'll put them in second place."

--Second place!

Kato"There was a sense of surprise at the novelty, so yes, it might be pretty good. It's interesting."　

Nike 's "Mercurial Veiper (HG - V)" is a high evaluation from Japanese national team blind football player, following the London Olympic marathon player (Fujiwara new player).

Next time, the final rankings will be decided. What will the overall standings be?!

(Continue to the last round VOL.4)http://king-gear.com/articles/337         


<Profile>
Kento Kato
Born on October 24, 1985, in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture. He started playing soccer in the third grade of elementary school, and in his third year of high school, his eyesight gradually deteriorated due to a hereditary disease. At the suggestion of his parents, he discovered blind soccer, and in April 2007, after entering Tsukuba Junior College, he participated in the Japanese national team training camp for the first time. He has represented Japan in blind soccer five times, competing in the IBSA (International Blind Sports Federation) Asian Championship for Blind Soccer.

Click here if you would like more information about blind football　http://www.b-soccer.jp/aboutbs/aboutbs_1
(Japan Blind Football Association Official Site)

Interview cooperation / Futaba Sports Omiya store
http://www.futaba-sp.com/author/oomiya