How to choose football boots? This question excites many beginner athletes, as well as their parents. Football boots - this is one of the main components in football equipment. And considering that football is one of the most popular games in the world, the demand for these sports shoes is traditionally high.
How did football boots come about?
They owe their appearance to the English king Henry VIII. Having been injured on the football field, he ordered his personal shoemaker to make special shoes. It was then that the problem arose for the first time how to choose football boots.
In the 19th century, football players used heavy leather shoes with metal inserts on the field. To increase traction, the boots were equipped with metal spikes. This led to high injuries on the field. They were banned in 1863 when the first official rules of football were adopted .
Instead, they allowed the use of leather spikes. The next revolution in their production took place in the middle of the 20th century. Replaceable spikes appeared on the thread. In the 60s, low-cut boots began to be used, which practically did not cover the ankle. Football boots began to look quite different. Adidas has put on stream the production of soccer shoes with spikes.
Recently, the most common boots with a monolithic sole, studs are flat, directed in different directions. They provide very good grip.
What are soccer shoes?
The first thing you need to deal with before you figure out how to choose your football boots is what cover you will play on. So, football shoes can be divided into two types.
The first is for matches on grass. This type of shoe is characterized by spikes that provide maximum grip.
The second type of boots is suitable for athletes who play indoors. In these cases, polyurethane or rubber soles are used to grip the coating. These boots are also called bumps, futsals or ballet shoes.
How to choose studded cleats
Children's football boots differ in the shape and number of spikes. It depends on the hardness of the ground on which to play the match. Sports shoes with AST, TURF markings are best suited for the child. These boots are equipped with a large number of rubberized spikes, due to which the load is evenly distributed throughout the leg. This contributes to a comfortable feeling during the game.
The only thing is that such shoes should not be used on synthetic fields. TURF boots have too much grip. Because of this, the likelihood of injury is very high.
They are also optimal soccer shoes for children with the marking MSR, they are also marked as Rubber. They have rubber spikes of a round shape, thanks to them the pressure on the player’s foot is reduced. These shoes are very comfortable. Boots are ideal for playing on synthetic fields, as well as on poor and hard lawns.
Universal cleats
The best football boots are marked Very Hard Ground. They have spikes of a flat shape, due to this, the athlete's speed significantly increases. They are optimal when playing in fields with gravel or gravel, as well as in winter, when snow fell. These are the most suitable football boots in the snow.
Universal boots that are suitable for both young and experienced players are marked with Multi Ground. They have exactly 24 spikes. Due to this amount, the pressure on the foot is evenly distributed. They are suitable for matches on hard and dry surfaces.
Cleats for professionals
Footballers after 16 years of age who plan to perform at a professional level need to choose sports shoes for themselves from the list of specialized models. Consider the most popular of them.
Soft Ground - for defenders and goalkeepers, these are optimal football boots. Puma, as well as other well-known sports companies, widely represent this type of shoe in its product line. There are six or eight spikes on the sole with a length of 18 millimeters. At the tip are metal tips. They are suitable for matches on comfortable ground or high-quality grass.
The load on the foot is evenly distributed. That's just for athletes under 16 years old such shoes will not work. Their joints are not yet fully formed, so playing in such boots can lead to unpleasant consequences, for example, flat feet.
Another popular model is called Firm Ground, abbreviated FG. On the sole of these boots are twelve or thirteen round spikes. These shoes are designed so that the athlete can gain more speed. They will be convenient to play on synthetic surfaces, hard and grassy fields.
13 round spikes have the boots of the Hard Ground model. They are also designed for matches on synthetic fields, grass and hard surfaces. Only they will not allow to gain such high speeds as in the boots of the FG model.
The best choice for most professional athletes is SG Pro. Today they are used by the vast majority of professional teams around the world. They are designed exclusively for playing on grass.
Cleats for playing in the hall
For the game in the hall the Nike company mass-produces shoes. Football boots with a flat sole and a special tread pattern are excellent for grip with the coating of the sports field. The most common boots of this type are marked FS or IC.
The first are lightweight boots with a woven or synthetic upper. Such sports shoes are very soft, they are used, as a rule, in futsal competitions.
IC marked boots are designed for perfectly flat surfaces. Visually, they are very similar to studded varieties. The material from which they are made is synthetic or leather. For training in the gym, such boots are used even by professional players.
Material for football boots
If you prefer studded shoes, they will most likely be made from synthetics or leather. The latter will cost more.
The most practical in professional sports is shoes, for the production of which kangaroo leather was used. It turns out as flexible and light as possible. Kangaroo leather boots have a special marking (k-Leather). Its benefit is noted by most modern professionals and manufacturers of sports equipment.
Following the skin of a kangaroo in practicality is the skin of a calf. Such boots will be significantly cheaper, but it will not affect the quality at all. These shoes are labeled full-grain leather.
In general, it is worth noting that any leather shoes will be noticeably better than the best synthetic model. These boots have good air tightness. In addition, the skin has features that stretch over time, adjusting to the individual shape of your foot. This can significantly affect the work of controlling the ball.
Synthetics are most often used for low-cost models. Moreover, they are significantly inferior in quality to leather counterparts.
How to measure soccer shoes?
Trying on is one of the most important stages in buying sports shoes, as choosing football boots for a football is not easy at once.
The nuances of fitting primarily depend on what material your shoes are made of. Synthetic models are advised to purchase 0.5 or a whole size larger than what you usually wear. The fact is that during intense physical exertion, the foot will swell and swell. As a result, the foot will increase in size.
And one of the main disadvantages of synthetics is that it does not stretch. As a result, new shoes can crush, and this is fraught with discomfort and even injury.
Microfiber boots should be taken strictly in size. Unlike synthetics, this material is very elastic, there are no special problems with it.
When you purchase shoes made of calf leather, the most faithful will be to consult with the seller. He will advise you on how to choose football boots. Because the quality of the dressing used to make the boots will depend on whether they can stretch and take the shape of your foot.
If you decide to buy kangaroo leather boots, then feel free to take one size smaller. The skin will definitely stretch to the shape that you need.