I remember being eleven, packed inside Lilywhites in Piccadilly Circus, begging Dad for the newest Adidas Predators. All my footballing heroes seemed to have a pair – it only seemed rational that I too should be a part of this elite cohort. Unfortunately for young Tom that day, the elusive Adidas Predators slipped out of my grasp (despite my best efforts, telling Dad that I could wear 4 pairs of socks and fit into that size 9). My point being, children can very easily be influenced by sleek marketing campaigns. The attributes marketed by each boot seemed to offer something new – pace, power, technique. I wanted them all. And I know I wasn’t the only one.
My intention is not to paint 11-year-old Tom as the problem here – I look back at those times with fond memories. The dopamine rush that came when bringing your new boots to school, showing them off to your friends at breaktime (only for you to miss a sitter in the evening), was unrivalled. However, now I’m a bit older and my feet have thankfully stopped growing, I can appreciate the true cost behind it all. Parents feel pressure to face high price tags, while the pragmatic Sondico route was considered unthinkable. The decision tree at checkout is often based on price, but I argue here, an alternative theme should be considered – the environmental impact.
Now, don’t get me wrong – If Dad had turned round to me in Lilywhites that day and said “sorry Tom, these Predators have a 13kg CO2e impact – let’s consider something more sustainable”, I wouldn’t have been amused. Now I’m a bit older and aware of the overconsumption that haunts the sportswear industry, I think it’s a point worth exploring.
The production phase of the average pair of football boots emits 13kg of CO2e – that’s the same emissions generated as driving a petrol car 50km. This impact certainly adds up when the appetite for new gear is so strong. kitround360 has calculated the true financial and environmental impact of football boot consumption between the age range 5-15 where growth and the power trends are most prominent. We call this the Tot-to-Teen model.
On average, a child in this ten-year phase will need 8 pairs of boots. This is actually a conservative estimate, and doesn’t take into account a new Nike Mercurial release that’s too good to turn down, or even the different varieties of boots that are often needed for avid players – astros, moulds etc. The average cost of these boots (taking into account cheaper, smaller sizes) comes to £50 a pair. Again, a conservative figure as those new Mercurials can easily surpass the £100 mark.
However, it wouldn’t be fair to assume that every pair could be bought on the platform. Sometimes, a birthday trip to Lilywhites is unavoidable. That’s why in this model we’ve assigned what we label the kitround adoption rate. Simply put, our model accounts for the fact that you’re not going to buy every single pair of boots from us.
The figures:
- A child buying 3 pairs on kitround will save £109.20 and avoid 39kg of CO2e – equivalent emissions as driving from the Emirates Stadium, down to St Mary’s.
- A child buying 8 pairs on kitround will save £291.20 and avoid 104kg of CO2e – equivalent to driving from Celtic Park all the way down to the Emirates.
Scaled up to an 11-a-side football team, these figures become even more impactful.
- An 11-a-side team, each buying 3 pairs of boots on kitround will save £1,201.20 and avoid 429kg of CO2e emissions – the equivalent of driving 1,622km, or from Wembley Stadium to Rome.
- An 11-a-side team, each buying 8 pairs of boots on kitround will save £3,203.20 and avoid 1,144kg CO2e – the equivalent of driving 4,324km – the equivalent of driving from Wembley all the way to Doha.
kitround plays an important role in establishing a circular marketplace for sportswear and equipment. The ability to buy pregamed football boots gives parents financial breathing room, whilst also making an environmental impact. Every sports top, pair of shorts, or jacket carries a hidden footprint. That’s why we built kitround360 – to show the real difference every player, parent, and partner can make when kit stays in play.
