With the winter sport season fast approaching, you boots from last year may have just gotten through to the
end of pre-season. You walk into a sports store and see a big wall of boots. Your kids might ask
which boots are going to make them run fast or be the best? Whilst you might be wondering which
boots are going to give them the best support? Well these questions are very common in the
physiotherapy world.
Which boots?
There are different types of boots including those are that are designed speficially for:
- soft ground,
- artificial surfaces
- firm ground, and
- indoors
When looking at a boot there are multiple factors to consider, playing surface, colour (of
course), comfort and stud design.
What is most important?
Despite what you might have been told, research tells us that comfort and performance are the most desirable features that athletes consider when selecting footwear (Hennig & Sterzing, 2010).
Most athletes find that leather materials are generally more comfortable and mould to the foot where as synthetic can feel a little lighter. If you are looking for support the general consensus is to find a boot which has a higher heel gradient and midsole cushioning.
What about the junior players?
For kids, go for the ones they feel the most comfortable in!
Often kids complain of heel pain, as studded shoes have been shown to create a negative heel position which is linked to a common condition known as Severs Disease (Kulessa, 2017). If this occurs, we are happy to show you how to reduce the pressure on the heel.
A recent article published in 2017 looked at the influence of football shoe characteristics on athletic performance and injury risk. They found a certain amount of traction is needed to improve performance, however, too much traction can lead to unwanted consequences.
If the studs are too long this creates higher rotational forces leading to risks of injury (Thomson et al, 2019). If they are too short, the player is unable to get enough traction.
Pro Tip: Avoid walking on concrete as this files down the studs
Check out Isaah Yeo, he wears Asics Testimonials
Previously wearing a Blade pair he found he wasn’t getting enough traction so he changed and has
never looked back.
Isaah Yeo says of his Asics: “They are extremely comfortable, light enough and they handle the wear and
tear”.
He also found Asics introduced a metal stud version which helped with wet weather conditions.
“They’ve got me through 7 seasons now in the NRL and I don’t see myself changing”.
Take home messages:
- What surfaces are you are playing on?
- Do you/your child need an added heel lift?
- If you see the studs starting to wear down, it might be time to get a new pair.
So, what will you wear this season?
If you are unsure which boots are right for you, come or give us a quick call. We would be very happy to help you out. Looking for running shoes? Check out Nathan’s article here.
