Football boot

Football boots, also referred to as cleats or soccer shoes in North America, are specialized footwear designed for use in association football.

Those designed for grass pitches have studs on the outsole to aid grip. Modern football boots are no longer truly traditional boots, as they do not cover the ankle. As with most other types of athletic footwear, their basic design and appearance have converged with those of sneakers since the 1960s.

Despite being most associated with football and rugby, the shoe is often used in other sports that are played on grass surfaces, such as touch, lacrosse, hurling, shinty, and tug of war.

History

Early Developments

The earliest recorded instance of specialised footwear for football dates back to 1526, when King Henry VIII of England ordered a pair of "football boots" from his Great Wardrobe.  These boots were likely crafted from robust leather, providing enhanced protection during matches.

1800s

During the 19th century, various forms of football became increasingly popular in Great Britain. Participants would wear their heavy and hard work-boots to play. These were an early form of football boots with the steel toe-cap at the front, and they had long laces and were high-topped. These boots also sometimes had metal studs or tacks put on the bottom, so players would have more grip and stability. However, This often resulted in injuries when one player inadvertently made contact with another during play

In the later part of the 19th century, the first ever football-specific boot was designed, made of thick and heavy leather that ran right to the ankle for increased protection; the first boot weighed .

1900–1940

During the early decades of 20th century, the style of football boots stayed very basic because of the lack of material, so the style of football remained so during the inter-war years.

1940–1960

Post-World War II innovations led to significant design changes. South American players introduced lighter, more flexible boots that emphasized control and kicking precision over protection. In 1954, Adi Dassler introduced screw-in studs that were used by the German team during a rain-lashed World Cup final that year. (Adi Dassler's older brother, Rudolf Dassler, founder of Puma, disputes the claim that Adi Dassler originated screw-in studs.)

1960s

In the 1960s, many football boots featured a lower cut boots designed for increased flexibility and movement . Mitre, Joma, and Asics joined the fray. Adidas emerged as a leading manufacturer, with 75% of players at the 1966 FIFA World Cup wearing their products.

1970s

The 1970s marked notable advancements football boots. These changes included lighter boots and a variety of colours. Adidas was the market leader in this period, releasing new technologies such as padding to provide heel protection. In 1979, Adidas released one of their most successful products, Copa Mundial.

During this period, some of the most common types of natural leather came into use: kangaroo leather, calfskin and full-grain/cow leather.

1980s

The 1980s continued the trend of technological development, with companies like Umbro, Lotto, and Kelme joined the market in this decade. Boots became more specialised, catering to different playing styles and positions.

1990s

The 1990s introduced new sole types to enhance player balance. Adidas launched the Predator in 1994, featuring rubber elements for improved ball control. Nike also entered the football boot market with the Mercurial line, emphasising lightweight design for speed, Nike's first popular boot, the Nike Mercurial Vapor was worn by Ronaldo at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Mizuno, Reebok, Uhlsport, and Nike began consistently making football boots in this decade.

2000s

In the first decade of the 21st century, laser technology was introduced to produce the first fully customized football boot in 2006. That same year, Lotto released the first laceless boot, the Zhero Gravity, which gained popularity in the late 2010s.

2010s - now

In the era of the modern game that sees the tempo of matches becoming faster and players more technically inclined, manufacturers introduced new technology, including lighter footwear made from alternative materials.Some researchers and manufacturers have suggested that football boots with laceless designs and knitted uppers can improve lockdown and ball control, but there are still differing views on their actual performance. The first laceless boots were released by the Italian bootmaker company Lotto in 2006. Lotto Zero Gravity was worn by players such as Cafu, Andriy Shevchenko, and Luca Toni. Companies such as Adidas Umbro, New Balance, and Nike have also released their versions of laceless shoes. Laceless boots demonstrate better lock down and lateral stability. A knitted upper allows players to have better ball control due to a larger surface area.

Material for football boots

Football boots can be made from many different materials such as rubber, synthetic such as nylon and polyurethane, or leather. Kangaroo leather is often used in high-end football boot manufacturing due to its lightweight and softness , but in recent years, the proportion of synthetic materials used has been increasing. Kangaroo leather is breathable and lightweight. Some players prefer leather, while others like synthetic or plastic material because they are more durable and cheaper.

Different styles for different surfaces

Depending on the type of surface, kind of sport and even the wearer's position or role in the game, different styles of boot and particularly stud configurations are available.

For hard pitches, amateur participants may wear a turf football boot (TF) or a plastic-stud boot (known as a "molded sole"). For indoor football, companies developed indoor court (IC) boots. These come with rubber soles intended to maximize grip on the floor, and are specifically designed for the indoor game. For football on turf or artificial grass, some players wear regular firm ground (FG) football boots. But wearing regular football boots on turf greatly reduces the life of the boot, so manufacturers have developed football boots for artificial grass (AG), which have smaller circular studs. The other type of football boot is SG (soft ground) for playing on well-grassed or sodden field. When playing on this kind of pitch, some players favor using a boot with screw-in studs in their non-dominant (supporting) foot to provide grip, and a boot with short rubber or plastic studs in the dominant (kicking/passing) foot to help accuracy.

More recently, molded soles with specially designed boots known as ''blades'' have molded soles facing in multiple directions, theoretically to maximise grip and minimize ankle injury. Recently, however, "bladed" football boots have faced criticism from some UK sporting bodies for causing potentially serious injuries to players. English football club Manchester United have even banned their players from wearing boots with bladed studs after players like Wayne Rooney and David Beckham suffered repeated metatarsal injuries.

Questions have been raised about the safety of female footballers wearing men's football boots, mainly due to foot shape and weight distribution differences between women's and men's feet. Despite football boots being unisex, studies have shown that women tend to get injured more often while playing in football boots.

Football markets and brands

Originally, football boots were available only in black, but they are now available in a wide variety of colours. Nike's flagship shoes are the Phantom VNM, Phantom VSN, Tiempos, and The Nike Mercurial Vapor worn by Cristiano Ronaldo. Adidas are responsible for the Predator range, as worn by David Beckham, Gary Neville, and Steven Gerrard