ENTREPRENEUR PAYNTER LAUNCHES REVOLUTIONARY CRICKET SHOE Former Northamptonshire batsman David Paynter has used his cricket expertise to develop a revolutionary cricket shoe. Paynter, who still plays club cricket for Pool in the Airedale Wharfedale League, spent two years working on the design of the Payntr X Shoe which was launched in a blaze of publicity at the weekend. The shoe combines the comfort of a trainer with the protection offered by a traditional batting boot and also gives players the option of batting with or without spikes. ” I was in bed late at night with my brain working overtime when I had a light bulb moment,” Brighouse-based Paynter said. ” I used to get my trainers spiked and so did a lot of other players because of the comfort. They look good, you are on your feet all day and they are a little bit lighter than your traditional batting boot. ” I thought: why can’t I make my own and cut out the middle man and develop a proper trainer/cricket shoe that will work like a cricket shoe but with the look and performance of a running shoe.” With the support of two business associates of his father, Paynter invested around £ 100,000 in turning his idea into a product which has already attracted plenty of interest from current professional cricketers. ” It’s gone ballistic and the feedback has been excellent. I’ve had calls from professionals who have said: you’ve nailed it. Its time somebody did this and got it right,” Paynter said. ” It’s so modern and different to any other shoe on the market. There was also a gap in the market. Most professional players have deals for bats, gloves and pads but the vast majority still buy their own boots. ” The market is flooded with bats, pads and gloves but not boots. I can’t understand why no one has really done this before. It’s a lot of hard work but, if you get it right, the rewards can be massive. ” The shoe has got moulded plastic lugs but it’s also got the spikes as well. You can take the spikes out or take the back two spikes out and have it as a half-and-half. ” It’s got a knitted material upper which is very fashionable trainer-style. It’s very flexible, very sporty. But there are moulded supports on the side and at the back and a nose support on the front of the shoe to provide protection for the toe. ” It’s a sock style upper so there is no tongue as such. You simply slip your foot into the shoe and pull it on. I came up with the idea of a triathlon-style running lace, you don’t tie your laces you pull a toggle down and you tuck the dangly bit in. All these different unique selling points that we came up with make it very different from anything on the market.” Paynter, the great-grandson of England and Lancashire batsman Eddie, developed his business skills while working in his father’s flooring contracting company where he ended up as a director. He sold his share in the company in 2008 and spent time as a house husband before his light bulb moment came and he turned his attentions to developing his state-of-the-art shoe. ” Being around businessmen you do pick up things, but in the last two years I have learned so much. I’ve found what I want to do and I am passionate about doing it. It’s gone past making money , it’s about seeing my product out there and seeing people wearing it. Whether it’s a 15-year-old in London or Kevin Pietersen wearing it would give me more satisfaction than any amount of money, Paynter said. ” I’ve done it all from scratch. A lot of the confidence to do that stems from being a cricketer. I was a very confident player, I wouldn’t let bowlers dominate me. It’s just the way I am. ” I think that’s reflected in how I do business as well, which is a good thing. I’m very positive, I’m very much an optimist.” {{ak_sharing}}
