Leicester sportswear boss, Terry Smith, has told how a chance meeting at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium allowed him to develop revolutionary football socks, Premgripp.
Tejay Sportswear has developed the patented football socks, that employ ground-breaking off-set technology and are beginning to be seen in the Premier League and numerous levels of the English football pyramid.
Terry Smith tells how he came up with the idea of Premgripp football socks
However, the socks may never have been in development should Smith not had a chance meeting with Leicester City kitman Paul McAndrew back in 2011 appealing for him to work out why footballers at the club were cutting the foot off of their regular football socks.
He said: “It’s been up to four years in development now. It came from myself being asked to attend a meeting at Leicester City with their kit-man, Paul McAndrew.
“At that time, our manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, was bringing various different oversees players in and a lot of them were cutting socks.
“We tried to develop a product that was totally different and unique in the market-place. A performance sock to help enhance blood circulation and to help with the grip of your feet and the shoe.
‘We’ve got players praising them on Twitter’
“We designed a sock with the foot cut out like an old-fashioned leg-warmer. Then we developed a sock that would complement that. It has strategically-placed dots to help the grip and we’ve now got players praising them on Twitter.”
Above: How do Premgripp football socks help players in the Premier League?
Premgripp was on trial for a short time at the King Power Stadium and are now regularly used by players such as Championship stars Jake Livermore and Louis Moult.
The socks have even travelled as far as the second division of American football. Fresno FC goalkeeper, CJ Cochran also praised the socks for the impact that they have had on his personal performances and suggested that whilst socks are not quite the biggest factor, players look for any small advantage that they can get.
He said: “It does make a big difference in playing.
“I’d say they add a bit more confidence. Players are pretty particular about the studs they wear and only recently have I seen them become particular about the socks they wear as well.
‘The game has got such fine lines’
“Everybody just wants that little mental advantage. If you’re wearing a boot, a sock, a kit, that you feel really comfortable in, it just takes your mind off the extras and lets you focus on the match.
“The game has got such fine lines. Any advantage that any players can get, whether it’s mentally or something physical, it’s huge.”
However, there are some in the footballing world who, despite advantages, are troubled by the usage of them.
Current kitman of all England squads, Pat Frost has described that any potential deviation from FIFA ruling by using the socks could incur considerable punishments, as seen in the World Cup. He also explained the great lengths that he goes to ensure that the FA are not fined.
Frost said: “[The socks are] a nightmare for us as kitmen. When we were at the World Cup for instance, you’re not allowed to have anything on show other than the FIFA official sponsorship partnerships.
“You wouldn’t be allowed to have these socks on show. I think England got fined for one of these players having them.
“We’re trying to tape them up and encourage them not to wear them for the games. We can only do so much.”
Player Reviews of Premgripp Football Socks
Thank you @premgripp for the socks – hopefully try them out this weekend if the rain holds off 🙏🏼☔️🌧⚽️ pic.twitter.com/2YUlxc2BJ1
— Helen Ward (@helenwardie10) December 7, 2018
Always 👏
— Louis Moult (@louismoult) November 25, 2018
Thanks to @premgripp for the delivery! Looking forward to trying them out 👊 pic.twitter.com/fy6lTc5uFm
— Greg Docherty (@Gregdocherty96) September 21, 2018
👀⚽️ @premgripp 🧦 pic.twitter.com/1JEsDKsp76
— Jordan Houghton (@HOUGHTON_J) September 10, 2018
Thanks to @premgripp for another delivery. pic.twitter.com/MEhvRuYEha
— Lee Frecklington (@leefreck8) August 24, 2018
Back at it again with the @premgripp pic.twitter.com/fPUzckI2Pc
— Mark Byrne (@Byrner_33) August 16, 2018
Thanks @premgripp for the new socks . 👌🏻 pic.twitter.com/YWWRbYU32x
— Paul Gallagher (@Gally_7) July 10, 2018
Our Review of Premgripp Football Socks
Our LIVE reaction to trying out Premgripp