Colin Sheridan: A study of the classics - Adidas, Puma and Umbro

There are levels of commitment when it comes to pick-up soccer, and purchasing appropriate footwear is one of them. It’s hard now, compared to before

ICONIC STYLE: Diego Maradona wore Puma Kings, a boot made famous by his pre-game warm-up routines, usually executed with boots untied, the famous white tongue of the boot flapping like a beagle's ear as he juggled. Pic: Jorge Duran/AFP via Getty Images

When the American theoretical physicist Enrico Ferni declared, “I am become death…destroyer of worlds…”, I believe he meant it in the context of being the architect of the atomic bomb, and not as a man in his early forties playing six-a-side soccer late on a Monday night, devoid of any discernable touch. 

A marauding weapon of mass destruction capable of denying any self-employed opponent (or teammate for that matter) their livelihood for however long someone should end up on crutches due to a mistimed tackle, or, more embarrassingly, being in the way of 15 stones that just can't “slow down” (slowing down is a relative term).