TALES ON FITTING BOOTS! THE GOOD AND THE BAD!
TALES ON FITTING BOOTS..THE GOOD AND THE BAD
FOR FULLY GROWN ADULTS
1. BOOTS SHOULD HAVE PLENTY OF ROOM IN THEM.
WRONG!!! BOOTS SHOULD FIT SNUGLY WITH THE TOE AS CLOSE TO THE END OF THE BOOT AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE AND FORCED FLEXION ON THE LONGEST TOE.
THE REASON FOR THIS IS THE OUTSOLE IS DESIGNED TO FLEX AT THE POINT WHERE YOUR FOOT FLEXES - AND THAT IS WITH THE TOE IN THE ABOVE POSITION!!! IF YOU HAVE YOUR BOOTS 15MM LONGER, THEN THE OUTSOLE FLEXES 15MM FURTHER BACK THAN ITS DESIGNED TO DO. THIS THEN CAUSES BOTH DISCOMFORT AND MAY CRACK THE OUTSOLE.
2. BOOTS WILL SUPPORT YOUR ANKLE JOINTS.
WRONG!!! IF YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO GO OVER ON THE LATERAL OR MEDIAL SIDE OF YOUR FOOT THEN THE ONLY SUPPORT THAT WORKS WILL BE TAPING OR AN ANKLE BRACE. THE SHROUD ON BOOTS ARE A DESIGN FEATURE AND LOOK GOOD BUT DO NOTHING TO SUPPORT THE ANKLE.
3. YOU CAN WEAR SCREW IN STUDS ON HARD GROUND.
VERY UNWISE!!! THE OUTSOLE HAVE SOCKETS IN THEM TO ATTACH THE STUDS AND THESE SOCKETS CAN CAUSE PRESSURE POINTS, BLISTERING AND BRUISING ON HARD GROUNDS. IF LONG STUDS ARE USED THEN THE LEVERAGE FROM THE STUD CAN CAUSE THE OUTSOLE TO WARP AND TWIST EVENTUALLY CRACKING THE OUTSOLE.
SOLUTION??
PLAYERS SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE BOTH HARD GROUND AND SOFT GROUND BOOTS FOR ALL SURFACES.
4. YOU CAN WEAR MOULDED SOLES ON SOFT WET GROUNDS.
AGAIN VERY UNWISE!! ITS LIKELY THAT YOU WILL LOSE TRACTION AND END UP ON YOUR BACK IF YOU DO THIS. WE SUGGEST THAT IF YOU WANT TO ONLY USE ONE BOOT FOR ALL SURFACES THEN YOU SELECT A LONGER STUD LENGTH AS A MOULD OPTION. WE CAN ASSIST WITH THIS BY IDENTIFYING THE LONGER STUD STYLES. SEND US AN EMAIL!!!
5. YOU DON’T NEED TO LOOK AFTER YOUR BOOTS.
WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! IF YOU WASH AND DRY THE BOOTS AND DRY NATURALLY WITH NO DIRECT HEAT THEY WILL LAST MUCH LONGER THAN IF YOU NEVER CLEAN THEM. IF YOU HAVE A PAIR MADE FROM LEATHER THEN IT IS ESSENTIAL TO TREAT THE LEATHER WITH A LEATHER TREATMENT SUCH AS
BEESWAX... DO NOT USE DUBBIN OR ANY OTHER OIL BASED NOURISHER AS THIS AFFECTS THE BONDING OF THE SOLE TO THE UPPER.
6. ALL BOOTS FIT THE SAME.
WRONG AGAIN!! EVEN WITHIN THE SAME BRAND VIRTUALLY EVERY STYLE HAS ITS OWN LAST.
THE LAST IS THE SHAPE THEY MAKE THE UPPER ON AND THIS DICTATES HOW THE BOOT WILL FIT.
SOME BOOTS ARE SHALLOW AND SOME ARE DEEP, SOME ARE WIDER AND SOME ARE SLIMMER, SOME ARE STRAIGHT AND SOME ARE CURVED.
EVEN THE SAME BOOT WILL CHANGE FROM SEASON TO SEASON DEPENDING ON HOW THAT UPPER IS DESIGNED, SO DON’T EXPECT THAT YOU WILL FIT A 10 IN ONE BRAND AND THE SAME IN ANOTHER.
7. ITS ALL ABOUT THE BRAND.
SO WRONG!! ANY GOOD PLAYER WILL BUY THE BEST BOOT THAT THEY CAN AFFORD AND IT SHOULD BE BASED ON THE FIT OF THE BOOT NOT THE LOOK, COLOUR OR BRAND.
NO BRAND MAKES REALLY BAD SHOES, ONLY PRICE DICTATES THE MATERIALS USED AND THAT WILL GENERALLY DEFINE HOW THE BOOT WILL PERFORM. BUT SOMETIMES THE MID PRICED BOOTS WILL BE MORE COMFORTABLE THAN THE TOP END STYLE BECAUSE THE HIGHER THE PRICE THEN THE LIGHTER AND LESS SUBSTANTIAL THE BOOT BECOMES. SOMETIMES IT CAN FEEL AS IF YOU ARE KICKING THE BALL WITH YOUR BARE FEET!!!
8. MESSI WEARS THEM SO THEY MUST BE GOOD!!
THAT’S A FACT! HE IS A GENIUS BUT HE COULD WEAR ANYTHING AND STILL BE THAT GOOD
ITS ABOUT FIT NOT LOOKS.