Latest news with #OlaAina
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Sokito Built The Most Sustainable Soccer Cleat
T Nottingham Forest player Ola Aina is one of Sokito's many player investors. He gets a say in the ... More design of the most sustainable soccer boot in the world. he international soccer industry discards roughly 12.5 million cleats per year. It's one of soccer's many sustainability issues, and the one Sokito, a British start-up manufacturer, is looking to solve by creating the world's most sustainable soccer cleats. Sokito launched in 2022 and has had two lines of cleats, the Devista and the Scudetta, both vegan-certified and made of mostly recycled materials such as carpet, bottles, wood fibers, and food waste (including beans, corn, and sugar cane). Traditional cleats use plastics and adhesives that can take thousands of years to decompose. The company is focused on reducing soccer's environmental footprint while producing high-performance footwear. Winning both the Unisport and BootWizard 2024 Boot of the Year is a testament to the Sokito's ability to develop sustainable footwear while maintaining elite product quality. Despite the accolades, founder Jake Hardy says that often people's immediate response to being told about a sustainable soccer cleat line is to ask 'is it crap then?' Former Angel City FC defender Jasmyne Spencer is a big advocate for sustainability and a Sokito ... More investor. Still, there is a core group of believers in Sokito's mission. In just three years, the start-up has drawn investment from over 60 professional players, from both the men's and women's sides of the game. The first to invest was English journeyman John Bostock. Bostock then convinced Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong to invest. Sokito's investor list now includes Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley, Nottingham Forest players Ola Aina and Harry Toffolo, and female stars Jasmyne Spencer, Sofie Junge Pedersen, and Didi Haracic. Speaking about her investment in Sokito, Spencer said, 'We need more brands like Sokito to drive the conversation around sustainability in sport. I'm honored to join this growing community of athletes bringing the climate change conversation into the mainstream.' Like basketball shoes, soccer cleats are no longer a mere tool of the craft. They have transformed into a fashion statement and a definition of playing style, and even values. Sokito offers players and consumers the chance to tie themselves to an elite product that strives for 'maximum impact on the pitch, not the planet.' Ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Sokito worked with Troost-Ekong to design and launch an exclusive Nigerian green Scudetta model. Troost-Ekong admits, 'Sustainability wasn't really something I was aware of before Sokito.' He recalls his cleats attracting curiosity at the tournament, with fans and fellow players expressing interest in the brand, the design, and the messaging. Nigeria lost the final to Côte d'Ivoire, but Troost-Ekong says, 'It was special to wear Sokito boots in the AFCON final. It was more meaningful than just playing well; it was a chance for me to leave a lasting impact, and it was a big kickstart for Sokito.' The cleat clearly resonated with fans, selling out in just days. Since getting involved with Sokito, Troost-Ekong has furthered his climate change awareness. He recognizes the role soccer can play in amplifying awareness, noting, 'I think the biggest impact we can have is on the fanbase; using our stage to educate other people who might be on the same journey.' In recognition of his work to use the power of soccer to raise awareness about climate change and specifically land degradation, drought, and desertification, in late May, Troost-Ekong was named the Sport4Land Champion of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Sokito is the brainchild of British entrepreneur Jake Hardy. Like many English kids, Hardy fell in love with soccer at an early age. He played semi-professionally, but admits he had 'a massive, verging on weird, interest in shoes and football boots.' At age 16, Hardy launched a small business selling vintage soccer cleats. He maintained it as he finished school and played semi-professionally. This was a time during which he recalls wearing a different pair of cleats to every game and cutting them apart to look at how they were made. It wasn't until a trip to Vietnam that Hardy realized how his passion intersected with an industry issue. During his time in South East Asia, Hardy visited many tailor shops, seeing firsthand how shoes were made and how (many) old ones were discarded. Eventually, he convinced a tailor shop to make him a custom pair of cleats using scrap materials. The finished product was disappointing, but it caused Hardy to ask the question: Can I make sustainable, durable, high-performance soccer cleats? Reflecting on the waste he realized soccer was creating, he says, 'I thought it was absolutely crazy that football, such a power for good, was contributing so much to the climate crisis. I thought football should be used as a force for good.' So, he turned his passion into his mission and spent six years developing his sustainable soccer cleat business before finally launching Sokito in 2022. Three years into existence, Sokito has the development and production process controlled to the nth degree, a necessity for vegan certification. To achieve the certification every component of the shoe, plus the manufacturing site and the machinery, has to be checked to ensure there are no animal derivatives. The process takes weeks and a fee is required for registration. Hardy says, 'I personally go into the main shoe production facility.' At the factory, every single component is personally audited. Sokito also looks at waste, power usage, how components are shipped from one factory to the next, and ensures all materials used for production are from recycled sources. As Hardy says, 'once it's in the shoe, there is no way to test that the material you bought is recycled,' adding, 'you really need to trust your supply chain.' Sokito is also integrating a carbon emissions life cycle assessment per shoe produced into its annual non-financial accounting. At the time of writing, the final emissions data is under review by a third party. Hardy says the development process for a new design takes between two and three years, which includes a three-month wear testing period. The timeline is industry standard, all the more impressive when considering that Sokito, currently an eight-person operation, is competing with the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Puma for soccer cleat hegemony. Once the design is complete, production takes about one month to complete. Last year, Sokito produced 8,000 pairs, far fewer than Nike, which owns 49% of the played-in market, and Adidas, which has 37% of the market. However, this year Hardy expects to produce roughly 30,000 pairs, noting, 'our percentage growth is really strong.' The entire production process (and vegan certification) is costly and time consuming. But Hardy says it's worth it because Sokito is 'trying to give the consumer a more ethical option.' Not only is the cleat itself more ethical, its production and consumption create a virtuous circle of more awareness, more research, and therefore future production of even more sustainable shoes with more durable materials. As investor Tom Cleverly says, 'If a large group of people improve by a little then that's where we can have a big change.' Soccer is just the vehicle for spreading the word. Ashley Westwood play and MLS game for Charlotte FC wearing the Sokito Scudetta. Sokito's latest cleat, the Scudetta, is available in three colors: all black (obsidian), all white (ice), and white with a chili red trim. At $200, the cleat is pricey, but it is roughly 25% to 30% cheaper than other elite cleats on the market. Sokito cleats are available around the U.S. on and the manufacturer has secured deals to sell with local retailers on the West Coast and in Texas. The company is taking inspiration from running upstarts On and Hoka, which have both cracked the mainstream in recent years. Sokito is already competing well against brands like New Balance and Mizuno, but the upstart manufacturer is looking to eclipse Adidas and Nike. As Hardy says, 'We want to get to a point where you walk into a premium football store and you have your Adidas wall, Nike wall, and Sokito wall [of cleats].' With that in mind, at the same time that Sokito is producing one model (currently the Scudetta) it is researching five to six potential new materials and combinations to make its cleats more durable. It is also working to produce a kids range and lower-tier cleats that make the brand more accessible to different age groups and levels of play. At the time of writing, Sokito is collaborating with Troost-Ekong and Ola Aina on potential color samples for another Sokito-AFCON exclusive boot. The company is also hoping the cleat will be seen at major tournaments like the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup and next summer's FIFA World Cup. Contrary to the norms of capitalism, Sokito won't be churning out new models. Rather it will be researching more recycled materials that can stand the strain of professional soccer games for longer. Hardy says, 'We won't release another one [cleat] for the sake of it. We are doing things in a logical way, rather than mindlessly innovating for growth month on month.' He adds, 'It's about building the best possible product that lasts for the longest possible time.' Building sports equipment made from recycled materials seems like a minor victory in the larger climate context, since after all a shoe made of cork, beans, and carpet won't stop a hurricane, nor will it directly lower the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, the Sokito brand is amplifying awareness about climate change in sports and is driving the push for circularity in footwear production. As the beautiful game expands further into every corner of the globe, so do the product lines that underpin it. The adhesives and plastics currently used in cleats can take thousands of years to break down, but Sokito is changing that one boot at a time.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Nuno 'concerned but positive' for injured Awoniyi
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo says the club are "concerned but positive" about Taiwo Awoniyi after the striker was put in an induced coma following a serious abdominal injury. The 27-year-old Nigerian international had emergency surgery to repair internal damage suffered during the closing stages of Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw against Leicester City. Awoniyi was taken to hospital for the first phase of surgery on Monday, with the second stage completed on Wednesday before he was woken up from the induced coma later that evening."He went to surgery, surgery went well. Thank god," said Forest boss Nuno, speaking before Sunday's trip to West Ham in the penultimate game of their season. "He is under observation now, but he is recovering. We still have to wait for the doctors to allow visits."We are concerned but it is positive." Awoniyi was hurt when he collided with the post while trying to reach a cross from Anthony Elanga, who was offside in the build-up to the 88th-minute incident, but the assistant referee did not raise the flag until play was completed due to an offside protocol introduced in full-back Ola Aina said the injury "would never have happened" had the flag been raised earlier. Nuno said medical staff are monitoring Awoniyi's progress and added: "The information that we have is that at least five days, he has to be there under observation, so that everything goes well. "I'll try to visit him as soon as possible. He's in good hands, and the family is there, which is what he really needs - the support there of the family."It has been very difficult because of the concern of the injury, the situation he went through."It's been very difficult, very difficult on us and on everybody, the concern of the injury that he had, the situation that he entered through, it's been hard on us."Awoniyi joined Forest from Union Berlin in 2022 and has scored 19 goals in 85 appearances across all competitions. He has also earned 10 caps for Nigeria, having made his international debut in 2021. Nuno said: "The players are constantly chatting on the groups. We know that he's well, he just needs time."I hope that next week he can join us and be around because he's a wonderful boy, a wonderful boy, and this season has been so hard on him that he feels so sorry."
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'None of this would have happened to Taiwo if the flag had gone up': Nottingham Forest star Ola Aina opens up on his team-mate's horror injury and YouTube fame
The really upsetting thing for everybody at Nottingham Forest is that, as their friend and club mate Taiwo Awoniyi lies stricken in hospital, they know that none of this needed to have happened at all. Had an assistant referee put her flag up as a clearly offside Anthony Elanga ran on to a through ball late in Forest's 2-2 draw against Leicester on Sunday, there would have been no cross to the far post. There would have been no collision between Awoniyi and the frame of the goal. It's a relatively new rule – the one that tells assistants like Sian Massey-Ellis to wait until the passage of play is over before signalling - but it's long since felt like an accident waiting to happen. And now the accident is here and Awoniyi is the victim. 'Anthony was miles offside,' nods Forest right-back Ola Aina. 'The whole world could see and so could I from where I was. 'You think 'offside' straight away. Surely you could just lift the flag up? 'Personally I liked how it was back in the day when for offside they just put it up straight away. 'A simple decision and get on with the game. 'Having to see it out and then just see this happen….well none of this would have happened to 'T' if the flag had just gone up would it? 'I mean…' Aina is sitting with Mail Sport for an interview arranged a while ago. The 28-year-old is one of Forest's – maybe one of English football's – most engaging and charismatic characters. He is an artist, a YouTuber, a Christian and – as it happens – a very good footballer. He will be in many people's Premier League team of the year when those opinions start to be delivered over the next couple of weeks. But circumstances have changed the nature and the rhythms of this conversation. There are some smiles along the way but equally it's hard to get away from a story that has dominated the news agenda since it unfolded on Sunday night. 'T is a very chilled guy,' Aina says quietly. 'He doesn't like to get in the way. He goes about his own business but he can have fun as well. 'He has been in a couple of my videos but I know he doesn't like the cameras too much so I try not to put them in his face. I respect that about him. 'I have sent him a message of course. The whole team has. 'I have heard he is recovering well so hopefully we will hear from him soon. 'I knew he had hurt himself at the time but just didn't realise it was to that extent. I only really heard when everyone was sending messages on our players group chat. 'We have a lot of things in common, me and Taiwo. Like our faith. 'But this is our team-mate and brother and someone we spend most of the year with day in day out. 'It affects everybody in some sort of way. All we can do is show our support and hopefully everything goes well for him now.' Sunday's late drama prompted Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to walk on to the field and question his manager Nuno Espirito Santo about why Awoniyi had initially been cleared to try and play on. Much fuss has followed but Aina's perspective is that of a player and offers insight in to the way they are conditioned and programmed. Fall down, get up, carry on. 'When I saw T come back on I thought: 'He will run it off' or whatever,' he explains. 'I thought it was one of those things. 'I know from my experience that when I get hurt I think I can come back on. You don't wanna stop. 'The owner just wants us to do well. He set up the club and the team for success and, like everyone, is he is fully invested in how well we do and how big the club grows. 'I have nothing but praise for him. I am so grateful to him and what he does for the club.' This has been a progressive Forest season, one that has surprised everybody inside and outside the City Ground. It now sits at what feels like a critical juncture, however. European football has already been assured for the next season and that's the first time that has happened by the Trent since the mid-1990s. But nobody is pretending that a recent drop from the Champions League places that have been occupied for so many weeks and months has not affected the mood. As we talk at Nottingham's Theatre Royal, next season's Forest kit launch is being prepared. As usual, the shirt will carry two stars above the badge – one for each of the European Cups won by Brian Clough's team in 1979 and 1980. This is what everybody at Forest wants next season to be about. 'It's frustrating,' says Aina. 'Myself and the team have worked so hard to put ourselves in the best situation. 'But sometimes football doesn't work the way you want it to, you know? These things happen. 'We are here now and have to deal with what's in front us.' Specifically, what sits between Forest and Europe's big league is games at West Ham and then at home to Chelsea, the club where Aina started his career. Win both and they have a chance. 'Yeh, simple as….' says Aina, a smile returning. 'I think for the team and the club it's still massive whatever the competition is next season. 'The club have gone without it for so long. Europe is a massive achievement in itself. 'But speaking for myself, as players you dream and have ambitions so it is a bit frustrating. We just have to look at the positives. We are still gonna be in Europe somewhere.' Perspective helps at times like this and Aina finds some in the road travelled. From time spent under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte at Chelsea – Conte gave him his two appearances – to spells on loan at Hull and then Torino in Italy. Hull was a culture shock – 'Have you been?' he jokes – while Turin was also, if for different reasons. Aina then spent five years with Italian side Torino where he came up against Cristiano Ronaldo While in Italy, he endeavoured to speak the language and made the most of the afternoon spent marking Cristiano Ronaldo, who was playing for Juventus at the time. 'I really wanted to talk to him and couldn't wait until after the game,' he recalls. 'I said: 'Hello' during the game. He said: 'Hi, you alright?'. 'I wanted to chat. He gave me a little response and that was it. Then there was some back and forth but he didn't really respond. 'I can be a talker but I am not trying to get inside anyone's head. 'If I tackle someone, it will be: 'You alright mate? Let's go again'. That kind of thing. Nothing malicious, no mind games. 'I can do that but I don't really. I have done it before. In my academy days. It's not really me and I don't need it. 'But yeh, Hull and then Turin. It was a massive change from what I was used to at the time. I saw life as a bigger picture. Perspective helps in these times with Awoniyi's injury and Aina finds some in the road travelled Despite Forest's recent dip in form, Aina said they should be 'grateful' for where they are 'So we should be grateful to be in this position and be grateful for things we are fighting for. It's good to remember that.' A gymnast and a long jumper as a kid in Essex, Aina was always quick but is not particularly interested in wearing it as a badge of honour. Told in jest that he helped to signpost the end of Kyle Walker's Manchester City career by bursting past him at the City Ground last season, he isn't having it. 'Nah,' he says. 'I didn't think I was even gonna win that foot race. And the pass afterwards was wayward. 'He is still quick. Don't get twisted. 'Half of the people who think: 'He is done or whatever'. Put them in a foot race against him and see what happens. He's off, mate. 'To be honest I always wanted to play and be better on the ball. I didn't really see speed as a thing. Not really. Aina also touched upon his impressive pace, but wants to be known for his quality on the ball The 28-year-old similarly leapt to the defence of Kyle Walker after his recent struggles 'I got older and I started to get exploited that way [by coaches] and only then did I realise being quick was actually a bit of a cheat code. 'But I think: 'I am footballer, not a sprinter'. 'You wanna be known for playing football.' Walker – as it happens – is one of those who has already placed Aina in his team of the season. 'It's really nice and a good bonus to have,' he says. 'But those things only last for one season. They reset again next season. So it's about being consistent.' It's not without pertinence that we are sitting in a theatre. Aina is artistic by default. His YouTube channel is getting him noticed as are his videos taken usually without warning in the Forest dressing room. Even Nuno was caught dancing in one of them. At home, meanwhile, are a number of unfinished watercolours and drawings. He showed some to Gary Lineker during a recent podcast chat and they are impressive. Has he sold any yet? 'No I should take it more seriously but I haven't yet,' he says. Aina's YouTube channel is also thriving and getting the Forest defender noticed elsewhere 'It's been a hobby since school. I enjoy it and like it but haven't sold anything. 'I have made some stuff for people. My friend put one up in his house. An abstract painting.' There is certainly some depth to Aina. He takes his faith seriously and is involved in the Ballers in God group set up by former Tottenham and Crystal Palace prospect John Bostock. 'I don't know how the two sides of my personality match up,' he nods. 'Other people have mentioned it. 'But God knows us all one by one and personally. If I am how I am – jovial and funny – then surely God knows who I am. Know what I mean? 'That's how I think it aligns perfectly if that makes sense. 'There are a few of us at Forest who are Christians. Aina is a devout Christian and revealed several of his team-mates are also of the same faith 'Me, T, Anthony [Elanga], Callum (Hudson-Odoi), the Brazilians. We all believe in the same faith. 'You will see some of us wearing the Ballers In God socks and shinpads. It helps. It's all good.' With his big hair and big shorts (size XXL worn because smaller ones make him 'uncomfortable') Aina has been a recognisable part of Forest's season in every way. They will take their rope-a-dope tactics to West Ham on Sunday and hope for a kickstart. Nuno and his players have taken zero possession winning football to new levels this season, even it was kind of by accident. 'It was initially just about a basis of being solid,' he explains. 'Maybe we as players got carried away with the whole being solid thing but it worked. 'So when the season started to unfold a little bit it was like: 'What's going on here?'. 'Because of the players we have, we do actually like to play with the ball and we do in training. The 28-year-old is full of praise for Marinakis and the ambitions he has for the club Aina and Forest have two games still to come; a trip to West Ham and a home game vs Chelsea He called for perspective after Awoniyi's injury and said Forest must take things in their stride 'You understand? 'We have good ball carriers and players who like to do one-twos. Good dribblers. 'The other thing was working, though, so we grew into it.' Whether it is ultimately seen to have worked enough to take Forest where for so long they have seemed destined remains to be seen. Aina is in no doubt as to what the owner Marinakis wants. 'I wouldn't say he is buying in to being an underdog,' he explains. 'That's not what he wants. 'It's more that he knows the potential of the club to be able to compete season after season and challenge for things. 'He chats to players. Every time I see him it's: 'Hi, how are you doing?'. 'Short and sweet which I don't mind. He has things to do.' Forest have things to do, too. Two games left. Two chances. But an understanding of big pictures also. 'You have to try and take things in your stride and be grateful for the situation you are in and hopefully the good things that may happen in the future,' explains Aina. 'Our team-mate hurt himself at the weekend. That's what matters. That's the perspective right there.'
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Transfer Q&A: Who could fill Liverpool's right-back spot?
BBC Sport's football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella has been answering your questions on the transfer Hackney: There's lots of clamour from Liverpool fans to promote Conor Bradley to our first-choice right-back. However, I think a lot of them are saying so to simply tell Trent Alexander-Arnold that we won't miss him! Are there any right-backs out there that you think could be suitable to join Liverpool and provide healthy competition for the spot that Trent is leaving?Nizaar: As Sami Mokbel reported on Tuesday, I think Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong is the best option for Liverpool. He is maybe more gettable now manager Xabi Alonso seems destined for Real remarkably good option is Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina, who is available for free at the end of the season. For me, he has arguably been the best right-back in the Kenny Tete is also available on a free transfer - but much will depend on whether Liverpool are ready to promote Bradley as their first-choice option.
Free Malaysia Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Blow to Forest's Champions League hopes with Brentford's 2-0 win
Brentford's Kevin Schade and Nottingham Forest's Ola Aina in action during the match in Nottingham. (PA/AP pic) NOTTINGHAM : Nottingham Forest missed out on a chance to move into the top three in the Premier League, and strengthen hopes of a Champions League berth next season, as Brentford upset them 2-0 in their Premier League clash on Thursday. Kevin Schade and Yoane Wissa both finished at the end of long clearances from deep in their own half to ensure a surprise away win that keeps alive keep Brentford's own ambitions of competing in European club competition next season. Schade ran onto a long ball from Nathan Collins and took advantage of a defensive slip to open the scoring in the 44th minute while Wissa added the second in similar circumstances with 20 minutes left as he finished off goalkeeper Mark Flekken's long punt. The result kept Forest in sixth place on 60 points while Brentford advanced to 49 points. They remained in 11th place but are now only two points behind eighth placed Fulham. Hesitation in defence proved Forest's undoing with both goals simple in their set up but reliant on the home side's usually tight defence being caught cold. Collins hit the ball some 60 yards up the pitch in search of Schade and, as Forest's usually reliable defender Nikola Milenkovic hesitated and fullback Ola Aina slipped, the German attacker took advantage to score. The second goal came as Forest allowed Flekken's long kick to bounce though for Wissa to get goal side of Milenkovic and hold off the defender to score. Brentford had made a bright start to the game and came close to an opener after 18 minutes when Mikkel Damsgaard's free kick found Sepp van den Berg, who had a free header on goal from close range but was denied as Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels palmed away the effort. Forest, who lost in the FA Cup semi-final at the weekend, then dominated exchanges and put Brentford under pressure for the rest of the half but without creating any clear-cut chances, before being caught cold as Brentford netted just before the break. As rain lashed down at the start of the second half, Forest went back onto the offensive with Anthony Elanga's 54th minute shot forcing a full stretch stop from Flekken while top scorer Chris Wood had his first chance of the game in the 64th minute but put his header well wide. A top eight place might yet prove enough for a place in European competition next season and Thursday's result hands Brentford, who next play Manchester United at home on Sunday, renewed hopes after they won only two of their previous seven league outings. Forest will qualify to compete in the Champions League if they finish in Premier League's top five. They last played in Europe's top club competition in 1980.
