Physiotherapist's Guide to Football Boots

Purchasing a new pair of football boots is always an exciting time. Brand, style and colour are typically high of the agenda of most people when shopping for new boots. Unfortunately, these don’t take into consideration your medical history. Incorrectly fitted or inappropriate shoes for your conditioning level, can increase your risk of foot and ankle injuries. Common foot and ankle injuries we see include:

· Shin Splints

· Stress Fractures

· Plantar Fasciitis

· Achilles Tendinopathy

With so many variations of boots available it’s difficult to know where to start. Hopefully this guide will at least point you in the right direction.

A key variation between football boot manufactures is whether there is a heel drop including in the boot. Traditional football boots and subsequently most on the market have a 0mm heel drop. This means they have no difference in height from the back to front.  In comparison, the traditional heel drop of standard joggers / running shoes is approximately 10mm. A 10mm heel drop reduces the strain on your calf/achilles complex and is available in only one brand of football boots, ASICS. Depending on your individual level of conditioning, this 10mm heel gradient may make a significant difference in preventing some of the most common foot and ankle injuries. 

Our recommendation to most amateur athletes is to try on a pair of ASICS football boots during the process of purchasing new boots to check for general comfort. General comfort and function when purchasing a pair of boots remains our highest priority.

If you play a sport other than soccer, you won’t immediately notice the 10mm heel gradient but long term your body may thank-you. Soccer players, you will likely need some time to get used to the difference. The 10mm heel raise will make your contact on the ball feel a little “off”, especially if you have previously played in 0mm drop boots. Some players will get used to this with time, others won’t. 

Outside of ASICS, Nike, Adidas, Puma, Umbro and X-Blades all make some excellent boots of varying width’s and styles. If you’re an athlete conditioned to wearing 0mm drop boots, use general comfort and function as your guide to purchasing a new pair. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your injury history and boot choices further, contact us via our website or call 07 4863 1292.

Written by:

Brendan Walsh

Principal Physiotherapist

Photo Credit: Langevad Sports Photography