EVOLUTION OF FOOTBALL BOOTS - MORE INNOVATIONS TO COME?

The evolution of football boots with insight from industry experts, Dean Ariola and Ian Ebbs by Vivek Julka

Back in the day, two black football boots did the job. But like many other things in football, boots have evolved due to technological advances and even customisation by the consumer themselves.

Ian Ebbs, founder of FootballBoots, a website where he and three other industry experts help players find the perfect pair of boots for them, said: “Long gone are the days where players just pick any random pair of boots of the shelf, time and thought is gone into the purchase now. They have to be comfortable, look nice and effectively make them play better.” Boots have become such big part of football, that sports brands sponsor players to wear their football boots they have designed. Certain players have become synonymous with the brand of boots they wear.

FootballBoots.co.uk founder Ian Ebbs, at the heart of helping players find the best pair of football boots for them (FootballBoots images)

Perhaps the most famous brand x player combo is Nike with their Mercurial boots for Cristiano Ronaldo. Whereas with Adidas, they have sponsored Lionel Messi for many years now. For the new generation of players, Nike provide boots for Kylian Mbappe and Adidas sponsor Jude Bellingham. Also, Puma boast some high-profile names who represent their brand such as Antoine Griezmann and Neymar Jr. But before Messi and Ronaldo, there was King Henry VIII of England who was first to be ‘sponsored.’ Dean Ariola, chief-writer of FootballBoots, said: “The first pair of football boots, noted in history, were made for King Henry VIII, who ordered a pair from his Great Wardrobe in 1526.” When were studs introduced? Dean said: “Pre-1891, nothing was allowed to project out of the shoes worn by a footballer, a revision then led to the use of small studs and football boots were born.  It wasn’t until the 1950s when Adidas introduced boots with interchangeable screw-in studs which were made of rubber or plastic. This meant that depending on the weather and pitch conditions, players could have different studs on the same pair of boots. Original boots were heavy but a lighter boot with less protection became popular in South America and Southern Europe where pitches were less muddy and eventually this style of boot became used everywhere else.” 

When were football boots first made? Why were certain features introduced? On the next page is a timeline, giving an insight into the history of football boots.

Football Boot Timeline narrated by Dean Ariola:

1800s - Football during this time period became increasingly popular, especially in England. The majority of people were playing in work boots which were hard and heavy, they were not designed for running and kicking. They often had steel caps on so if you were bashed into with them, let’s just say it wouldn’t feel nice. Later on, these boots had metal tacks or studs put into the bottom of the boot so players had more grip and wouldn’t slip over. Also in this period, the first ever official boots were made from leather, they were heavy, thick and went right up to your ankle. They would weigh half a kilogram and double when wet,” says Dean.

1900-1940 - “This period was dominated by world war, so football boots stayed very much the same.

1960s - During the 1940s-1960s, WWII was finishing and the design of boots were changing drastically, they became lighter and flexible. The idea of creating boots that were solely for protection was dropped and a focus on a boot that would be light, agile and give the player a better kick were the main considerations for new boots. The end of this period saw a flexible than ever boot.

1970s - – In the 70s, colours were introduced so that players didn’t have to choose between black or black. The first white boots and first other than black pair were the idea of Hummel’s marketing director Brian Hewitt. They were worn by Everton’s Alan Ball in the 1970 Charity Shield match, where he was referred to as twinkle toes by the commentator.

1980s - This was a time where modern classics of the game were birthed. The Copa Mundial and Puma King were popular with the players. Leather was the material of choice, being designed with now for both, comfort and performance.

1990s - Now there was a movement of professional footballers being paid to wear boots by manufacturers. In the middle of the nineties, the world’s most famous boot was designed, known as the Predator, Adidas designed a boot that was hugely popular around the world.  Nike started to make an impact too, with their Tiempo Premier being worn by lots of players at the 1994 World Cup in USA, including ten players in the final.

2000s - In this period, the introduction of laser technology meant that boots could be customised fully for the first time.

2010s - This was a highly influential decade for football boots. Customisation and personalisation increased with it becoming standard for a player to have their name and number on their boots at all levels not only professional, but semi-professional and even Sunday League. Innovations included chips and tracking in boots so players can monitor their performance online. Collared boots and pack releases started to crystallise, with special limited editions spearheaded by big names like Messi and Ronaldo. 

2020s - Football boot tech continues to evolve. So far, we have seen the layering of thin upper materials and the increased responsiveness of soleplates like the Nike Aerotek and the Adidas Carbitex Speedframe,” says Dean.

But what does the future hold for football boots, are there more innovations to come? What brands are going to be the main players? Dean said: “Mercurial and Predator still reign strong as the choice of players more than twenty years since creation. Will boots light up when you score, show you’ve got a yellow card, change stud positioning mid game to adapt the conditions? The future of boots is uncertain but one thing is for sure, more innovations are to come.”