The history of football boots

Football boots are essential tools of the trade for any footballer and have been in existence for centuries now. The first ever football boot is credited to King Henry VIII in 1500’s. They were made by his personal shoemaker and were made of strong leather, ankle high in length and heavier than normal shoes of those days.

In the 1800’s, football increased in popularity and the rules became more formalised. Accordingly, football boots were designed specifically with the game in mind. The boots were ankle length for protection, and studs were incorporated to give the player more stability on the pitch. These studs were made of leather and were hammered into the soles of existing boots. Unfortunately, these boots were rather cumbersome to wear as they were very heavy, and weighed even more when they were wet.

This led to a change in boots in 1925 with the invention of changeable studs. Players were now able to change their studs according to weather conditions and the state of the pitch. The boots were still ankle length in style though. In the 1940’s, players and manufacturers began to analyse how boots affected the kicking and control of the ball, and this led to newly designed boots.

In the 1950’s, it became obvious that football boots that were lighter would be desirable. This led to the incorporation of plastic and rubber studs and the usage of synthetic materials in an attempt to make the boots lighter. Ten years later, the first below ankle slipper style boots were introduced, which also happened to increase ball control, shooting power, and give the players more freedom and agility.

From then onwards, manufacturers focussed on producing lighter weight boots, by using various types of synthetic material. Also, in the 1970’s and 1980’s, manufacturers began to market football boots as a fashion accessory. They began producing boots with different colours, and started sponsorship deals with impressive players to wear their footwear exclusively, thus began the commercial phase of football boots.

Over the years, three companies have dominated the football boot industry – Adidas, Nike and Puma. These companies strive for further improvements in design and technology in order to produce the best Football boots ever. From ball spin and precision, to speed and comfort, the race is on between these companies and others to keep on top of the game, and protect and improve player’s performance.