adidas’ CLIMACOOL SYSTEM – which includes a cooling vest, jacket and overshoe – looked to combat the impact of the high temperatures experienced during the tournament on athlete performance.
Ahead of the World Cup, the Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre in Loughborough University’s School of Design and Creative Arts helped define the benefits of the overshoe – which is placed directly over a player’s boot and contains a cooling gel.
This evaluation involved footballers undertaking exercise in the Centre’s climatic chambers, simulating the peak heat conditions anticipated during World Cup matches.
Click for 360° view of one of the climatic chambers.
Professor Simon Hodder, an expert in environmental ergonomics, said: “The cooling overshoe designed to be worn over football boots during halftime, helped reduce foot temperature, provided a sense of overall cooling and gave a reduced sense of physical effort when players restarted exercise, which would be the equivalent of a potential power boost after the break, compared to no cooling.”
Further information on the CLIMACOOL SYSTEM can be found in the dedicated adidas news story: adidas Tackles Tournament Heat With Cooling Innovations For FIFA World Cup 2026™
All media enquiries should be directed to nevena.milenkovic@adidas.com.