New laceless boot out in time for World Cup

(All rights reserved - Lotto Sport Italia)

Lotto is to release its latest laceless football boot in advance of the FIFA World Cup in June, with a design that integrates innovations from elsewhere in its footwear range.

Since Adidas kick-started a revolution in football boot thinking in the 1990s with their textured Predator boots, athletic footwear designers have been coming up with new ways to optimize players' performance on the pitch by shifting the position of laces and maximizing impact zones.

The general trend in boot lacing design has been towards side offset (Nike Total90), and covered or concealed laces (Adidas F50), but since introducing the Zhero Gravity boot ahead of the 2006 World Cup, Lotto has been working on ways to do away with them altogether.

The latest iteration in that product line, the Zhero Gravity Ultra, is now due its debut before the 2010 tournament in June, and carries on from where the 08/09 Zhero Gravity Due and 09/10's Tre left off.

As with the Due, one of the Ultra's twelve studs is rotational, positioned at the front of the boot next to the big toe, and intended to allow players to make sharp turns with a greater degree of speed and athleticism while minimizing the risk of injury.

The company has also worked on Zhero Gravity's sole, strengthening it to add greater support and allow swifter reaction.

The boot is expected to retail at €150 in the EU and £150 in the UK.