Concern over correct footy boots says Podiatry body

Choosing the correct footwear for any sport is of paramount importance. The Australian Podiatry Association Victoria today issued a timely warning concerning the choosing of appropriate footwear for the current football season.

“With the demands placed upon the lower limbs in an Australian Rules game, extra care should be taken when choosing boots,” Association President, Matt Dilnot said. “And anyone in doubt concerning what is, or isn’t the correct boot should first consult a podiatrist. Our members have a genuine interest in ensuring sports people in general have the best footwear for the individual and the respective competition playing conditions.”

Over the years the demands and expectations of a footballer’s onfield performance have increased dramatically. Players now need equipment that is reliable and does not hinder their skills.  Footballers require footwear that provides sufficient comfort, fit and traction on the grass playing surface, Mr Dilnot added. Boots today differ in design from pre-season training (for summer’s hard grounds) with many smaller rubber studs, to moulded or wedged shaped soles providing a more uniform pressure distribution for weight bearing, or the screw-in stop boot for maximum traction. The screw-in stop boot tends to cause more muscle fatigue and is the least popular.

In the 1970s to overcome traction problems, various adjustable studding formats and positions were introduced, but some players found them uncomfortable and painful to wear. Recent research carried out at LaTrobe University’s Department of Podiatry showed that a lack of comfort and subsequent foot sole pain may be in part attributed to pressure being localised at stud sole positions, causing elevated pressures under the foot. The research addressed the effect of stud configurations in football boots on foot sole pressures in varied activities, but on the most common sporting surface - grass.

The research showed that the lower extremity of the body is the most commonly injured area on a footballer, accounting for up to 71% of all football-related injuries, with an adverse interaction between the playing surface and footwear a possible contributor to injury.

When compared with the running shoe industry, football boot production is relatively small. In 1998 the Australian football boot production industry was valued at $22 million, with a small proportion of that being returned for research, design and reinvestment.

“As a footcare profession we would welcome an input into football boot design. Bad boot design, incorrect fitting and, in particular the second hand boot usage in the younger age groups can cause short and possible long-term injuries,” Mr Dilnot said “Players of all ages and levels of competition, should ideally consult a podiatrist with any fitting problems or the first sign of a possible foot related injury.”

The LaTrobe University research, to be presented at the National Podiatry Conference (Canberra, May 2001) clearly illustrates there is no “ideal” boot for all conditions and that footballers should be aware of the demands that an unsuitable boot may place upon their lower back and limbs.