FootBallSouthAmerica.com

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dealer buttonsThe items of footwear worn while playing football are called football boots in British English. They feature studs (cleats) protruding from the sole for traction on a playing field covered with grass or similar surface; hence they are called “cleats” in American English. Association football boots are called soccer shoes in American English. In most codes of football, modern “boots” are not technically boots as they do not cover the ankle. They can be made from a wide variety of leathers, kangaroo leather being a popular choice

elastic socksThe first record of a pair of football boots occurs when Henry VIII of England ordered a pair from the Great Wardrobe in 1526. [1] The royal shopping list for footwear states: “45 velvet pairs and 1 leather pair for football”.[2] Unfortunately these are no longer in existence.

In association football’s Laws of the Game, Law 4: Player’s equipment deals with football boots. Until 1891, any kind of projection on the soles or heels of football boots was strictly forbidden. The 1891 revision allowed both studs and bars, so long as they were made of leather and did not project more than half an inch, and they had their fastenings driven in flush with the leather. Studs had to be rounded, neither conical nor pointed and not less than half an inch in diameter. The leather studs were originally hammered into the boots on a semi-permanent basis and players would have several pairs of boots with different length studs, but in the mid-1950s Adidas introduced boots with interchangeable screw-in studs made of rubber or plastic for varying weather conditions. Football boots were originally heavy boots with protection for the ankle, and these remained the standard style of boot in northern Europe for many years where the boots needed to stand up to the rigours of use on muddy winter pitches. A lighter boot without ankle protection and resembling a studded shoe became popular in southern Europe and South America where pitches were generally harder and less muddy and this eventually became the standard style.

Depending on the type of surface, kind of sport and even the wearer’s position or role in the game, different cuts of boot and particularly stud arrangements are available. For hard fields, amateur participants may wear a sneaker shoe or a plastic-stud boot (known as a “moulded sole”); in most sports and positions this is adequate, although on a well-grassed or sodden field, a ***** stud is recommended for more grip; these may be metal, rubber or plastic.

For rugby union, the screw-in stud (or in some cases a metal-tipped, moulded stud) is preferred, especially in the positions of prop, hooker, and lock, where more grip is required for contested scrums. These screw-in studs are commonly either completely of metal construction or plastic with metal tips, of a maximum length of 18mm. These boots are often heavier than appropriate for other types of football.

Screw-in studs have been banned in some Australian rules football leagues since the 1990s due to the frequency of severe injuries to players as a result of contact with the metal. In football, referees must now check all boots prior to kick off to check for damage to studs, to prevent injury. Before this time, preference between the screw-in stud was based primarily on weather conditions.

More recently, moulded soles with specially designed boots known as blades have moulded soles facing in multiple directions, theoretically to maximise grip and minimise 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 its players from wearing boots with bladed studs.[3]