When they were kids, USAFL Coach of the Decade, Denis Ryan and former Australian 10,000m runner, Paul Smart, loved to kick the ball around or hit a few cricket balls over the fence. Almost 30 years later, Smart and Ryan are back together introducing a new shoe to the US market. In 2001, Smart was frustrated with the low quality and high price of running shoes on the market so he decided to do something about it – Azuma was born.

In Australia, Azuma is having trouble keeping up with demand having outfitted NRL teams, the Australian Cricket Team and a number of AFL players. Most notable has been the introduction of the “Starlight” cleat (pictured) which has the red, black and gold colors of the Australian Indigenous Flag. As reported by Darren Moncrieff on AboriginalFootball.com: "The biggest problem we're facing is that we've probably gone a bit a small with the production run," Smart said. "We had a minimum of 800 made but most of those were pre-ordered. We have just been totally amazed at the response, it's just going gangbusters!" More and more AFL players are trying them every week including 5 of the top 10 draft picks.

Azuma USA (www.azumausa.com) recently launched with a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes at Ryleigh’s Oyster in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore MD. “This year everyone got a pair of shoes of their choice and we had just under 130 turn up. Everyone had a great time and the reception to the shoes was what I expected. They were all a little surprised at how comfortable they were and I don’t think many expected them to be of the quality they are,” said Ryan.

Ryan has worn a lot of cleats over the years but he is raving about his Azumas. “There are some really great features about the cleats (boots) but the 3 stand outs are the covered laces for a smooth kicking surface, the stability bars which join the back blades to the front stops that give incredible stability under foot and the innersole. They are definitely the most comfortable footy boots I’ve ever put on. Pretty stylish too and if I was still in my dancing days…”. He also believes that they are going to do well on the hard surfaces common in USFooty. “They’re a molded sole, with blades at the rear and small stops through the middle and toe. Stops are arranged in a circular formation, allowing for better grip on take-off, changing direction and landing. Coupled with the stability bars, they’re going to give you great traction under foot. I’m confident that even on really hard grounds, you’re going to need a really well made turf shoe to beat the Azuma Shuka.”

Azuma also makes custom cleats. Maybe in their near future we will see a “USFooty” cleat. The minimum run is 300, so if you are looking for new cleats or running shoes you may want to check out Azumausa.com and mention your interest in a red, white and blue cleat.

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