| Goal for Simon Skirrow and his NOMIS brand |
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How a football boot manufacturer sure-foots it past his opponents Zug, 19 May 2008. At a rugby match between England and South Africa, which took place during the 1990s in London, it goes without saying that it was raining.
The wet ball slipped out of players’ hands 45 times. One of the spectators was the former Vice-President of adidas, Simon Skirrow, who watched how the rain made play difficult for players. Which gave him a decisive idea: “Something’s gone wrong here! It can’t be possible that high sales figures and a good look are the only goals pursued by the sports industry. During the design process, manufacturers should also give some thought to how players’ performance can be improved.” Only a few years later, this idea was put into action: Simon Skirrow, who gave birth to the idea, moved with his family from England to Queensland, Australia where he established the NOMIS football boot brand. At his kitchen table, he started to write the success story of this football boot which provides relief for joints and reduces injuries. The company has been based in Switzerland since 2007 from where it steers its activities all over the world. Simon Skirrow, the English entrepreneur, was employed at adidas from 1978 to 1994. In his position as Vice-President of Global Football, he collaborated with Craig Johnston, a former FC Liverpool player, to develop the Predator which remains the uncontested number-one football boot even today. Skirrow left the company in 1994. “What annoys me is that much more money is still being poured into Marketing than product quality”, argues the expert. “I wanted to design a boot, i.e. THE RIGHT BOOT for players and their feet.” This original idea evolved to become his company, NOMIS. With his concept, Skirrow is hoisting the flag for taking on the international manufacturers of football boots. In Australia, he discovered a tannery which was able to offer him exactly what he was looking for: experience in processing specially-treated cowhide and kangaroo leather. Leather because it gives the shoe more grip than synthetic materials, especially when wet, and its flexible nature makes it better able to adapt to various shapes of feet. Additional features such as nomud technology and foot-friendly design were also incorporated in development in co-operation with orthopaedic surgeons. NOMIS football boots have been available in Australia since 2004; players in Germany, Scandinavia, Britain, France, the Netherlands and Brazil already have the opportunity to play in NOMIS boots. THE RIGHT BOOT is sold in a total of 1,200 outlets world-wide. The entrepreneur has plenty of reasons to be optimistic: with his top-selling “The Glove”, he made it into the “Soccer International” magazine achieving first and second place ratings in the “Top Shoes 2006” category - thereby overtaking his famous competitors. Simon Skirrow is convinced that he has developed the best, safest and most performance-enhancing football boot around. With a total of 16 models form men, women and children, the company is well on its way to becoming a recognised market leader in the manufacture and development of surface technologies for the sports industry. Simon Skirrow has his sights firmly set on conquering the market: having sold 75,000 pairs of boots in 2007, the company hopes to increase this figure to 200,000 pairs of football boots in 2008 and continue to convince football players of the advantages of football innovations. Many professional players have already discovered the advantages of NOMIS shoes and negotiated lucrative sponsoring contracts. Harry Kewell, a player at FC Liverpool, is currently the best-known football pro to have allied himself with NOMIS. With the launch in Germany, German football players are to follow by turning their backs on the models currently being worn on the field. Press contact: Nomis Sports AG Ingo Bartels Baarermattstr. 6 6300 Zug Switzerland Phone +49 (0) 171-3183317 Email ingo@nomissports.com |
