Yesterday I waxed something or other about ref attire. That was
somewhat a consequence of my intellectual peregrinations this
weekend. I did my part to keep the economy afloat - I purchased
some running shoes. In this process I was exposed to basketball
shoes. Why basketball? Well, this past year a couple of soccer
shoe companies introduced boots with a lacing mechanism initially
introduced in basketball shoes during the late 1980s and early
1990s. So, in an effort to see what might be the future for soccer
boots, I studied current basketball shoes. Some observations.
First, is a shoe closure system composed of a zipper (plastic teeth
and plastic slider) to be considered as unsafe - and thus barred
from the field? Sure the structure is functionally stupid if placed on
the top of the boot upper, as is for current basketball shoes. But
the closure could be placed on either side of the boot upper - and
would this placement influence the decision as to whether
permitted or barred? Surely the current device with a ridgid planar
implement to impart motion to the slider is unsafe, but that ridgid
implement could be replaced with a short segment of woven fabric -
as is currently found on some outer garments for camping/hiking.
Second - there is a shoe system which is fundamentally different
than current shoe construction. The shoe is a stretchable cloth
fabric attached to the sole of the contraption and the mechanism
for maintaining the shoe upon the foot is not an integral part of that
part of the shoe which covers the foot. The mechanism for
maintaining the shoe upon the foot is a bit of plastic strapping
attached to the sole at or near the instep and the same general
location on the other side of the foot which is tied together with a
lace arrangement over the top of the foot. Is a boot system
similarly constructed permissible or prohibited? Does the extent of
the use of the strapping influence the decision? [i.e. if all the straps
are involved in the lacing there is no problem but if some of the
straps are not involved in the lacing do these pose a safety risk to
other players]
