Shrink it and pink it is a phrase that rings all too familiar with female athletes and sports fans alike. When it comes to both performance and casual gear, often were left with shrunken versions of mens models with no thought paid to our body types -- or sneakers so wide and flat that were forced to add our own insoles. And lets not get started on all the glitter and rhinestones that often accompany womens gear.This issue even extends to World Cup champions and Olympic gold medalists. Until now, members of the U.S. womens national soccer team wore cleats that were made on a male last (a mechanical shoe form in which shoes are built upon). The arch placement, height, traction and cleat size were all built for a male athlete and merely shrunk down to womens sizes.But on Tuesday, Adidas launched two new cleats -- the X and the Ace -- engineered specifically for the female soccer player, and developed thanks to direct research and feedback from national team members. U.S. co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn wears the Ace cleat, and has been working with Adidas on the new design. She talked to us about what the new cleats will mean to soccer players, both on the field and off, and gave us an update on what shes doing this offseason.espnW: How does it feel to finally have not only one, but two, female-specific cleats to play in?Sauerbrunn: It feels a little like about time! Ive been working with Adidas for a few years and theyve always empowered female athletes. This was a logical next step in the evolution of the womens game -- a cleat made exclusively for the female foot and adapted for our movement on the field.espnW: What were the most important areas of the cleat that you felt needed to be changed to make it more tailored to the female athlete?Sauerbrunn: Up until this point, womens cleats were built on a mens last. They were simply sized smaller and given a different colorway to distinguish them as a womens cleat. The physiology of our feet and our bodies are completely different! The new cleats have a lowered silhouette and collar height. They have shorter studs which are in a different configuration to better match how we move on the field.Ive been providing feedback on Adidas cleats since I began working with the company. I always had a critique or two on every iteration of the Ace and X up until now. I frequently told them the cleats were too wide and my feet were slipping, or that the collar was too high and cut into my ankle bones. The womens Ace, the style I wear, fits snug around my foot, and the lowered collar gives me the freedom of movement I want when I play.espnW: Have you noticed a change in your performance in these versus the previous models that you played in?Sauerbrunn: I train and play pickup soccer at Adidas and they oftentimes want me to try out new boots. Usually I warm up in them and then go back to my latest broken-in pair. When I wore these for the first time I didnt have to change them out. They felt game-ready from the beginning. When Im on the field I dont want to be worrying about my cleats. I want them to enhance my playing style. That allows me to focus on the game and on giving my best performance.espnW: Youve chosen to wear the Ace cleat -- why is it the right fit for you?Sauerbrunn: Its a boot built for control, so the cleats mimic my playing style. The leather forefoot provides comfort while also helping my first touch. The X is built for speed. The synthetic upper is more lightweight and helps players feel like theyre not wearing any cleats at all.espnW: Of all the new and specifically engineered parts of the Ace cleat, what do you think makes the biggest difference?Sauerbrunn: The different stud configuration has added a new level of comfort. As women, we put pressure on our feet differently than men do. The adjusted stud configuration accommodates those pressure areas and more evenly distributes it throughout the outsole. A lot of sport is being comfortable with being uncomfortable. We push our bodies so hard, its nice to have a little added comfort.espnW: When you train off the pitch, what sort of sneaker do you like to wear?Sauerbrunn: I tend to rock the womens Ultra Boost for longer runs. I have a pair designed by Stella McCartney that are running shoes but feel more like slippers. If Im doing cross-training with multi-directional movements I wear the PureBoost X.espnW: Whats your typical offseason training routine like?Sauerbrunn: A lot of everything! Its a time to develop and add elements to my game. During the season the team focuses more on the next opponent and less on individual development. So I take offseason time to watch game film, notice any patterns or repetitive mistakes, decide if Im making those mistakes because of my decision-making or technique, and then work on correcting those things.I continue to lift and work on movement skills, but my focus on conditioning goes way down. So less physical impact and more mastery of technique and tactics.espnW: Your team is so synonymous with greatness -- do you like that pressure to perform?Sauerbrunn: The womens national team is a very successful team, and that success has given us a platform to speak on gender equity issues. Millions of young women play soccer in this country and its empowering for them to see that our contribution to the game is valued. That if they aspire to the highest level of their craft, their efforts are as inspiring as any mans and not just an afterthought.Thats what Im proud to showcase with these womens cleats. We arent an afterthought. We play different, move different. We deserve a boot that reflects that. Success doesnt motivate me as much as integrity does. Everyone loses. I enjoy the pressure of showing up every single day, being focused, putting forth my best effort, getting the best out of my teammates and enjoying the journey. Weve been so successful because we have players who value that over everything else. Cheap Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Corey Crawford Gear . The Islanders dealt Thomas Vanek to the Montreal Canadiens after less than a year on Long Island. 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Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys Outlet . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team.BARCELONA, Spain -- Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel posted the fastest time ahead of archrival Fernando Alonso in the second practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix on Friday. Alonso had the best time in the rain-affected first session, where Vettel drove more cautiously, but the Spaniard finished .017 seconds behind the German as sunshine bathed the Circuit de Catalunya for most of the afternoons run. Vettel clocked 1 minute, 22.808 seconds -- considerably faster than the 1:25.252 Alonso managed for Ferrari in the morning run. "Overall, we can be happy with today," Vettel said. "This afternoon was fairly conclusive, but this morning wasnt really much good with the weather." Vettels Red Bull teammate Mark Webber was third quickest and the Australian was .083 behind, with Finlands Kimi Raikkonen fourth fastest in his Lotus. "We couldnt have got more out of it today really, the weather made things a bit tricky," Webber said. "We had a few things to test this morning which we had to move to the afternoon when the weather was better, but it was okay. We still have work to do tonight." Saturdays qualifying promises to be highly competitive, with the top six in the second practice separated by .332 seconds. Ferraris Felipe Massa was sixth, followed by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. "The team have done a great job to bring our upgrades here this weekend and whilst I could feel the impact immediately, its difficult to quantify how much of an improvement has been made at this early stage," said Hamilton, who has two third-place finishes this season. "After the first session this morning, I felt there was some good promise and the car was well-balanced, but I was a little less happy in the different conditions this afternoon." Every driver apart from Max Chilton and Paul di Resta managed at least 30 laps, with Nico Rosberg getting 45 laps out of his Mercedes. Rosberg thinks the car needs more durability on a heavier fuel-load to go along with its excellent short-burst speed. "It seems that we are quick again (for) one lap but we need to focus very much on achieving a good race pace," the GGerman said.dddddddddddd "There is still a lot work to do but in general I felt that we had a good test program today and learned quite a lot. Its difficult to manage the tires in these conditions." Vettel, who finished the first practice down in 19th place, flew out as soon as the afternoon session began. The track design, with its long corners and changes in speed, offers a good test for the car upgrades providing it stays dry, and the afternoon conditions were perfect. Times dropped considerably as drivers tested out Pirellis new modified hard tires. Pirelli has made them slightly harder and longer-lasting after complaints they were wearing out too quickly, leading drivers to save up tires for race day and cutting short their practice runs. "Difficult to say too much (about) the new hard tire. We didnt expect any miracle and I dont think its a massive difference," Vettel said. "We see how it behaves on Sunday and I dont think it helps us in terms of changing the race, so we will see a similar amount of pit stops as the last race (in Bahrain)." But there appeared to be an issue with Di Restas rear tires, however, when he went off track and banked onto the grass after completing 25 laps. "Were going to investigate the cause of that fully," Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said. "Whatever the cause this is not something we like to see, and once we have established all the facts we will decide whether some further modifications to the tires are required to help avoid this type of issue." The upgrades are likely to prove especially crucial to McLaren, however, as Jenson Button and Sergio Perez try to kickstart their bitterly disappointing seasons. Perez tried out the cars new nose late in the afternoon session, which he finished in 13th place, a place behind Button, who did not do a timed lap in the first practice. "The thing is with this sport everyones moving forward," Button said. "Were working flat out to improve at the moment." Button and Perez have managed only one fifth-place finish between them, and have had to clear the air after clashing during last months Bahrain GP. 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