Talent, discipline, and physical training are no longer the only factors determining athletic performance. Everything from training to the clothing used by athletes has evolved as a result of the daily technology development. This brings up an important question: Is it moral to use technology to assist athletes in performing better?, where does innovation end and disadvantage begin? The whole nature of sport comes into question when technology has a direct impact on success.
Soccer isn't just a sport. It's an emotion, a feeling. It's the only thing capable of making an entire country (no matter how divided) wear the same jersey and cheer for the same team. It unites us, represents us, and transforms us.
This problem began years ago and has become increasingly prevalent in the last decade as technology has permeated every corner of the sport, becoming increasingly powerful. It's no longer just about talent, effort, or discipline.
Today, in the middle of 2025, athletes all around the world compete with sensors, simulators, smart fabrics, and footwear that almost seems straight out of the future. The question is inevitable: are we moving forward or losing our essence? Although many people think that sports technology is a recent phenomenon, the truth is that it's been around much longer than we imagine.
It all started around the 1970s, when brands like Adidas began experimenting with balls, uniforms, and digital timers. From the 2000s onward, technology became a part of training, data analysis, and performance. Teams like FC Barcelona, Manchester City, and the German national team began using sensors, simulations, and even artificial intelligence to learn how to train better, how to avoid injuries, or how to play more strategically.
Basically, training is no longer just about the body, but also about science. Currently, brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma are developing not just clothing or cleats, but specialized technology that transforms performance. Add to that universities, laboratories, and startups that are involved in creating sensors, smart fabrics, and analysis systems. Sports are no longer just played on the field; they're also played in laboratories and offices.
NMT - The future of soccer
Our project seeks to demonstrate that technology doesn't have to be at odds with ethics. We want to prove that it's possible to design customized footwear and sportswear that improves physical performance without losing the essence of football. Because for us, football isn't just a sport. It's a passion that unites countries, neighborhoods, and communities. It's the only thing capable of getting millions to wear the same jersey for a day.
It all started by asking ourselves how a soccer player actually moves. We're not machines: we're human beings, with bodies that evolved to walk on two legs. We'll analyze humans as bipedal species to understand why our feet, posture, and movement evolved as they did, and how this directly influences technical movements in soccer to design a perfect cleat that empowers the athletes skills.
This cleat is accompanied by a line of smart sportswear, created under the same principles: functionality, ethics, inclusion, and real performance. All of this was possible thanks to an interdisciplinary approach that unites science, technology, art, and values.
We know that football is played with the body, but also with the soul. That's why this project argues that technology in sports should not be seen as cheating, but as an ethical tool, as long as it serves the athlete and not privilege. As a result, our objective was clear, to design an ethical, inclusive, and science-based soccer cleats and apparel that enhance performance while preserving the spirit, values, and morality of sport through innovation.
To conclude, technology has undeniably transformed the way we experience sports, but at NMT, we believe innovation should never come at the cost of identity, fairness, or emotion. Our project proves that it's possible to enhance performance through science and design without losing the soul of football. By combining ethics, inclusivity, and biomechanics, we created a cleat and sportswear line that honors the spirit of the sport while embracing the future. Because for us, true progress is not just about running faster or jumping higher
NMT is not just about performance. It's about purpose.
Because football deserves both.