Adidas readies sportswear innovation: the tackle-proof football jumper

Adidas is set to unveil prototypes of a new football jumper that uses derivations of its ForMotion and ClimaCool clothing technologies to produce a tight-fitting jumper that conducts sweat away from the players body through a combination of heat and moisture-dissipating materials, and makes the surface of the jumper slippery and difficult to tackle. The jumper has been developed for Australian Rules Football's most famous and popular club Collingwood and could revolutionise Australian Rules and full contact sports where tackling is permitted. Adidas is a major sponsor and long term partner of the Collingwood Football Club and in the coming weeks the first prototypes of the on-field apparel concept will be delivered for evaluation.

Adidas released its ForMotion clothing technology at the Australian Tennis open in January worn by World ranked Alicia Molik. ForMotion improves comfort and enhances performance by combining several different fabrics with different properties in a shaped garment. ForMotion garments are designed to enhance athletes' movements in three specific types of sports: Linear sports such as running, where the focus is on forward motion; Lateral sports, such as tennis, where the focus is on upper body rotation and quickness; And the Helix movements of football/soccer, where the focus is on lower body power and movement.

The ForMotion concept utilises a combination of: compression fabrics in sport-specific body locations to control & enhance muscle activity to assist the athlete maintain proper form; and sculpted cuts and three-dimensional engineering to boost athletic freedom of movement.

ClimaCool apparel actively conducts heat and sweat away from the body through a combination of heat and moisture-dissipating materials, ventilation channels and three-dimensional fabrics that allow air to circulate close to the skin.

In order to be worn in competition, the proposed clothing innovation will need to meet extensive player, club and AFL approvals however "adidas are extremely excited about the prospect of working together with Collingwood to lead innovation in the sport of Australian Rules," said adidas Marketing Director Tim Jackson.

Details of the final technology will remain confidential and will not be released until the official launch which has yet to be confirmed.