Quick answer: Zero Give introduced warm vapor inside four soccer cleats and used infrared imaging to observe heat patterns on the outside surfaces. Recurring patterns informed where Coolmax® fiber was placed in corresponding areas of the Zero Give sock.
Why map heat transfer in soccer cleats?
Footwear research shows that shoe construction and air permeability can influence the temperature and humidity inside footwear. In an 80-minute study of 12 recreational male runners, researchers found higher in-shoe temperature and relative humidity in the shoe with the more closed upper during parts of the protocol. Liu et al., 2024 — PubMed.
A separate study compared two running shoes with different air permeability. The less permeable shoe showed higher temperatures and humidity, and participants noticed changes in the shoe microclimate over time. West et al., 2019 — PubMed.
Research has also examined how sock textiles relate to the foot and shoe microclimate. In a laboratory study of 12 participants walking in boots, two sock fabrics with different moisture properties produced differences in water retention and boot microclimate temperature at measured locations. The study did not detect differences in the measured foot skin parameters. Bogerd et al., 2011 — PubMed.
These studies informed the design question for Case Study 04: Could recurring heat-transfer patterns across soccer cleats help guide where Coolmax® fiber is placed in a sock?
How Zero Give mapped the cleats
We introduced warm vapor inside each cleat using the same test setup, then used infrared imaging to observe heat patterns on the outside surface. The four cleats shown are Diadora, Nike Patta, Nike Mercurial, and adidas F50 Laceless. We compared the images for recurring patterns to inform sock material placement.
How the mapping informed Coolmax® placement
We used recurring heat-transfer patterns across the four cleats to guide where Coolmax® fiber was placed in corresponding areas of the foot in the Zero Give sock. The thermal images informed a design decision about placement.
Designed to Work with Popular Soccer Cleats
ZERO GIVE® is designed to work with performance cleats including Mercurial Vapor, F50, Phantom, Predator, Mercurial Superfly, Tiempo, Future, and Copa Pure. Fit still varies by cleat volume and foot shape.
What is Coolmax®?
The LYCRA Company describes COOLMAX® as a fiber technology with channels that wick moisture away from the body to the fabric surface, where it spreads and can evaporate. COOLMAX® is a fiber combined with other fibers to create garments, including socks. Learn more from The LYCRA Company’s COOLMAX® technology overview.
What this case study shows
Case Study 04 documents how footwear microclimate research and infrared heat-transfer mapping informed Coolmax® placement in the Zero Give sock. The PubMed studies provide background on footwear and sock microclimate; they did not test Zero Give or determine its Coolmax® placement. The infrared images are a visual heat-pattern map, not a direct measurement of breathability or a performance test of Coolmax®.
Research informed the question. Thermal mapping guided the placement.
Frequently asked questions
What does the infrared test show?
It shows heat patterns on the outside surfaces of the cleats after warm vapor was introduced inside. Zero Give used recurring patterns to guide sock material placement.
Does this infrared test measure cleat breathability?
No. It is a visual heat-transfer mapping exercise and does not directly measure airflow or water-vapor transmission through a cleat.
Why place Coolmax® in selected areas of the sock?
Recurring heat-transfer patterns across the tested cleats informed where Coolmax® fiber was placed in corresponding areas of the foot. This case study describes the design rationale.