Football is a team sport which involves kicking a ball with the foot in order to reach the goal and Football boots are what the players wear while playing football. In such games wearing the right footwear is very important. Although initially they were boots, modern football boots do not cover beyond the ankle.
At the start football was played without any protection to the foot. By 1891 the leather football boots were introduced which displayed rounded studs. These leather studs were permanently fixed to the shoe thus they were not adjustable. Therefore, each player had different pairs which had studs of different lengths. During 1950s Football boots were manufactured with the ability to change the studs according to the weather conditions. However in some countries screw-in studs are banned since they can injure players in the field. The referee has the responsibility of assuring that each players boots are safe to wear in the field. Nowadays football boots are produced by fixing blades in the soles in order to get a better grip but these types of shoes are not allowed in UK since they can cause severe injuries to ones team members and the opposition team.
Football boots are also categorised as soft ground boots and hard ground boots. Soft ground boots are mostly worn on grassy pitches and the shoes contain removable studs. Even if the studs break they can be easily replaced by new studs. You do not need to buy a new pair of shoes. Therefore the soft ground boots have many advantages.
Unlike soft ground boots, hard ground boots have permanent studs fixed to them and they are created for playing on hard fields and artificial turf. The permanent studs are evenly fitted across the entire outsole and provide a good grip. While offering good stability and traction these boots are also durable than other varieties.
Popular brands of football boots include Adidas, Asics, Mitre, Mizuno, Nike and Puma. Famous players such as David Bekham and Steven Gerrard wear and model the Predator range manufactured by Adidas Company. Adidas reported to have record sales during 2006 FIFA World Cup, when the whole German team wore their football boots. Although these were originally made only in black, now theyre available in various colours. Nike is also a big name among professional football players such as Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Although football boots cannot make one a better player, a bad pair can also have a bad impact on the game. If the boots do not fit the feet well it can put the player at unease. As a matter of fact the player will be under stress throughout the whole game with a pair of ill-fitting shoes. Since football is played on grass, the player should have a good, strong pair of shoes which are flexible with each move. The possibilities in the market are endless today. The stores display various types of football boots of popular brands. No matter how popular they are or how good they look on your favourite player, you should select a pair that is most comfortable for you.