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From conception to Cote D’Ivoire: our journey with the Super Eagles
March 06, 2024
The new kid on the block
Ah how time flies. It's already been a month since AFCON, where we debuted our newest creation and made headlines across the world. So we thought it was time to go back to the beginning and explain how we managed to get our new boot, the Scudetta, on the feet of the Nigeria captain.
Picture the scene: it’s January 2023, our first boot, the Devista, launched just a few months back, already making waves as the most sustainable boot on the market. It’s a great time. But our founder, Jake, can’t sit still. He’s already thinking of what's next: an even lighter boot that takes ‘eco-friendly’ to the next level.
The Devista is our classically-styled touch and control boot, but now it was time to bring something to the market for your forwards and modern-day wingback (or, in the case of this story, your goal-scoring Nigerian centre half). With the Scudetta, we wanted to build a super lightweight boot. Aggressive traction from the soleplate, whilst still remaining soft in the vamp and comfortable throughout. Easy, right?
But it wasn’t just about the weight of the boot. Jake had demonstrated the power and effectiveness of bio-based materials with the first boot, so now it was time to go all the way. The question was: could he make a high performance boot from entirely bio-based materials? Or was he too ahead of his time?
Jake wanted this to be a boot that people talked about. That professional footballers could wear in big games and still perform at their peak. Which is where William Troost-Ekong comes in.
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I’ve got a crazy idea
The idea? What if we got our ambassador, William Troost-Ekong, to wear the first version of the new boot at AFCON.
At this time it was summer of 2023: even though we knew the turnaround would be tight, it felt like maybe, just maybe, it could work. But we had to hit the ground running. Pulling together the design, the materials and the fit in just 6 months. Easy for a huge brand. Slightly harder when you’re still finding your feet.
The first port of call was the design: we wanted to give a nod to
the iconic Naija kit from 2018, including the green grass-like swishes that represent the local flora in Nigeria, but update it to help it feel more relevant for 2024. Once we'd signed it off, it was time to get down to the nitty gritty of creating a speed boot that doesn’t compromise when it comes to the environment.
We won’t bore you with boot development details. All you need to know is that Jake did the rounds trying to find factories that were pushing the boundaries with bio-based materials. Making sure that his choices were having as little impact on the environment as possible. With materials crafted from sugarcane, bamboo, castor beans and tencel wood fibres, he turned over every stone in pursuit of the right stuff.
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Down to the wire
It’s October 2023. The plan is in full swing. It looks as though things might just be working out. Which is when Jake gets a call from Will saying he’s not playing in the team anymore.
Sh*t.
With the cogs already turning on the development of the Scudetta, Jake had a huge decision to make. Did he slow things down, take it easy, and just have a first prototype by spring 2024? Or does he go full steam ahead and hope that things work out for AFCON?
It seems obvious in hindsight, but at the time, things were very unsure. Jake decided that since we’d already come this far, we might as well go the whole 9 yards. So off he went to China to show them the materials he wanted to work with, and get started on the first samples. The first few were a bust to say the least. One shoe bigger than the other. Soleplate falling apart. Huge gaps on the ankle. These boots weren’t anywhere close to being finished. Not an issue if you don’t have a deadline, but all of a sudden Will tells us he’s back on the team. And that he’s the captain. So now we have a real problem.
Jake’s a perfectionist, so unless the boot was up to his standards, there was no way he was going to let Will play in them in Cote D’Ivoire. So sample after sample was sent to Sokito HQ. And time after time, Jake came back to say they’re not quite right. With each change a week was wasted, and before we knew it, January was upon us. When the final sample came through, we held our breaths. If this wasn’t good enough for Jake, then we wouldn’t have enough time to turn around another prototype. But as Jake slipped on the shoe, a Cinderella-esque moment happened, and we all knew they were good to go. Now all we had to do was get them there.
We wanted to give a nod to the iconic Naija kit from 2018, including the green grass-like swishes that represent the local flora in Nigeria, but update it to help it feel more relevant for 2024.
We have blast off
Enter: Dan. Having only worked at Sokito for a month, Dan valiantly put himself forward as chief delivery officer. Which basically meant he had to get on a plane to Cote D’Ivoire and make sure the boots got to Will. The timeline was tight: with the final prototype dropping into our laps just a few days before the start of the tournament. And they didn’t even have the right studs on yet. Luckily, we had our whole team working overtime to get the boots on Will’s feet.
Though it was a balmy 30 degrees in Cote D’Ivoire at the time, (with a slightly less appealing 80% humidity) Dan wasn’t there to sunbathe. It was straight to the Nigeria training ground to see how Will was going to feel about the boots. And from the moment he put them on, it was full steam ahead.
At first, it was dribs and drabs. Pictures of Will wearing the Scudetta during training. Comments from the other lads on the team about how cool they were. Sure, we knew they looked good and were good for the environment. But from that first game against Equatorial Guinea, people were hooked.
Sky Sports. Versus. Football Joe. BBC Sports. Everyone was talking about the most sustainable boots in the world. In fact, it got over 50 pieces of coverage in 18 different countries. And even more importantly, Will told us they were incredible to play in. Even if Nigeria had lost in the group stage, we would’ve been happy with that result. Little did we know, they weren’t throwing in the towel that easily.
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Player of the tournament
The Super Eagles refused to give up. Game after game they came together to show the world where the ‘super’ part comes from. And to top it all off, our ambassador (a defender, might we remind you) was scoring penalties like an absolute machine. Soon, they went from being low-level contenders, to being backed to win the whole tournament.
Before we knew it, the final was upon us. Jake flew out to support the team, and to witness the insane atmosphere inside the stadium. Stuffed to the brim with the host nation’s fans, Jake said it was unlike any game he’d been to before.
Though the Nigeria team did their utmost, they couldn’t quite get it across the finish line, losing 2-1 to the Cote D'Ivoire. But there was a silver lining. The one goal scored by Nigeria in the final was by none other than William Troost-Ekong (even though it was a header, we still think the Scudetta should take some credit…). And his commitment to his team didn’t go unnoticed: Will was voted Player of the Tournament for his unflinching commitment as captain.
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What’s next?
We all needed a breather after that one. A whirlwind from start to finish. But we couldn’t be happier with the way that everything went. Not only did Will get all the accolades he deserves, but we got the Sokito name out into the world for everyone to see, and it turns out, there are plenty of people who want to know more.
So, what’s next? Well, the Scudetta is coming
out this summer, and it’s set to change the game even more than it did at AFCON. We’re going to collaborate with some big brands to do a few cheeky drops before the final version is available to buy. And we’re coming off the screen and into the real world to give you all the opportunity to try out these sustainable boots for yourself.
Keep up with everything we’re doing on socials, sign up to our emails and read some of our other articles to see how we’re continuously trying to change the game.
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Author
Matilda Godson
March 06, 2024
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