February 2021 – Collaroy Cromer Strikers Football Club

What boots should you buy? – part 4

28/02/2021/in The more you know /by Liam Bonney

Knitted boots are the newest trend in football boots. Now, the name sounds funny and when I first heard of knitted boots I immediately thought of an old lady sitting in a ricking chair trying to knit a pair of Nike mercurials. This is not the case. Knitted boots are made from a synthetic fabric very tightly woven together to make the upper of a football boot. Its almost a combination of a running shoe upper and synthetic material. Because of this knitted boots require almost no break-in time and could almost be worn straight into a match … although I would advise against it.

The idea behind knitted boots is that they provide a sock like sensation, where you put them on and it feels like a second skin. The pair I have definitely achieve this even though I bought the wrong size… twice. Knitted boots in my opinion are an attempt to combine the benefits of both synthetic and leather in the one material.

Knitted boots tend to weigh about the same as synthetic boots if not a little bit more. But more or less the same, they are therefore associated with being lightweight. They have also been used to drop the weight on other boots that are marketed as “control” or “power” boots. Knitted boots tend to be quite slick so what brands have done is add a layer of silicone texturing to the outside of the boot in order to help add some extra grip on the ball. This although extremely minimal also adds a little extra weight.

Knitted boots do have some give in them although not nearly as much leather. If leather had 10/10 stretch and synthetic was 1/10 then knitted boots would be around a 3 or a 4. As such they, like synthetic boots may not be the best option for people with wide feet. However special mention to Puma who have created a boot that is almost fully customizable in terms of fit with their netfit technology. I am not going to get into to it and I have not tried the boots on because I am waiting for a white pair to emerge. But if you want to know what I am talking about just google Puma Future. So while they are not the worst fit for wide footed players they are not as good as leather either.

In terms of durability again knitted boots sit somewhere in between the other two materials. The yarns are not like clothing yarns where you will have loose threads everywhere, they are more durable than that. However most knitted boots are made relatively thin and this offers both minimal protection and in very minor circumstances may have a tendency to tear when tackled.

What boots should you buy? – part 3

21/02/2021/in The more you know /by Liam Bonney

Synthetic was the next material to be used in a football boot. Synthetic when compared to leather offers a tighter more responsive feel. Synthetic similar to leather does require some break in time for your feet to get used to it. Synthetic will not mold to your foot like leather will. It will generally speaking hold its shape for an extended period of time, the only time it will start molding to your feet is when it begins to slowly break down.

In terms of touch on the ball, synthetic materials provide a far less padded sensation. This brings you closer to the ball but also means that if you are going from a leather to synthetic boot you will notice that there is more of slapping sensation on your foot as you strike the ball. The more synthetic the more plastic the touch can feel, and because of this, most synthetic boots are quite thin.

Synthetic also weighs far less than leather and in a sport where any perceived advantage is highly sort after this means that synthetic boots have an advantage over there leather counterparts. It is why in recent years we have seen the development of boots that are a combination of leather and synthetic. This creates an enhanced comfort with the added benefit of being light.

Overall a full synthetic boot is probably not the best fit for someone with wide feet. As I mentioned before synthetic will not stretch nearly as much as leather will and this means that if it doesn’t fit you when you try them on, it’s probably not going fit you ever. If you do try and force yourself to wear them then you will end up with pressure points that can lead to blisters, as well if you wear football boots that are to small they can contribute to foot injuries and cause bunions later in life. Ideally you don’t want your toes to be squashed against the side or front of the boot.

In terms of durability synthetic boots are generally very durable especially when compared to leather. The plastics often hold up better against abrasive playing surfaces. However due to synthetic boots being made incredibly thin, they have been reported to tear in tackles. Studs are sharp and can cause abrasions on boots and the thinner the material the more likely it is to tear.

What boots should you buy? – part 2

21/02/2021/in The more you know /by Liam Bonney

Football boot uppers (the part on top of the boot) are made of three main materials, leather, synthetic and knit. Some boots even use a combination of two different materials especially involving leather. I will be trying to compare them as objectively as possible as I have actually worn every material myself.

Let’s start with leather. Leather was the original material in a football boot and was what all football boots used to be made from. A leather football boot will provide a very comfortable fit, where the leather will eventually mold to the shape of your foot. I say eventually because leather does take some time to break in. in terms of touch on the ball, a leather boot will provide a slightly padded sensation and the more leather the boot has the more padded it will feel.

However, one of the downsides to leather is that compared to the other two it is comparatively heavy. The heaviest football boot on the market is around 310grams and the lightest is around 190g meaning a total weight difference of 240g across both feet. Now that doesn’t seem like a lot and it isn’t, but it also means that they are generally not marketed as light weight “speed” boots which is what a lot of people want.

Generally speaking, leather boots are also a good option for players with wide feet, This is because as mentioned above leather tends to mold to your feet over time. This also means that they will stretch and can even stretch up to half a size. This is good but it as well has downsides as sometimes the boots can over stretch leading to a total lack of responsiveness and even blisters because of how much your foot is slipping inside.

In terms of durability, leather also has downsides. While the overstretching can lend the boots to being unusable. The softness of the leather can be in some circumstances be prone to tearing or wearing away faster than other materials. Now, you can prolong the life span of a leather boot by properly caring for them with some leather balm, but this adds to the cost of owning a leather boot and most people including myself can’t really be bothered with it.

What boots should you buy? – part 1

14/02/2021/in The more you know /by Liam Bonney

Ones that fit. Done. Haha if only it were that easy I wouldn’t be here now writing this post. Football boots are perhaps the most essential piece of equipment that someone needs in order to play football properly and safely. If you simply played in a pair of runners or casual shoes you would more than likely slip, trip and fall over constantly. Apart form making a fool of yourself this could also lead to injuries.

Football boots are a very subjective topic. People like different things and when it comes to football boots this is no different. There are 3 main materials that uppers are made of, 5 different outsole types (stud types), and 1000s of different colorways to appeal to everyone’s needs. Then there are different widths to all of the boots, how much they stretch will depend on the material. There are also different models of the same boot with different price points.

So, in this series we are going to go through all of that plus my recommendation for what you should do buying for yourself and for your kids. Plus debunk some myths in relation to football boots. I myself am a massive boot nerd. I love talking about them, all of the technology that goes into them intrigues me massively and full disclosure I check all my favorite boot sites pretty much everyday for new boots and new deals… despite already having 5 pairs.

Positive Peer Pressure – Full Article

07/02/2021/in Benefits of Football /by Liam Bonney

Is there such a thing as positive peer pressure? I always associated peer pressure with negativity. But I am starting to think that perhaps there is a positive side to this. Pressure is something that is inevitable in life. Think about it, tests, exams, assignments and that’s just in school. But in football is there a positive side to this? I believe there is, maybe not in the pressure itself but the how a player deals with it.

The pressure in a football game can come from, opponents, teammates, parents, friends or the occasion. Pressure often forces us as players to either make decisions incredibly quickly, like when an opponent is running at you or chasing you. You can either try and take them on, protect the ball, pass, shot or kick it away. This is not the kind of pressure I am talking about though. I am talking about the pressure that teammates put on each other to do well. That’s peer pressure, right? Well, that’s what I am calling it and its my blog so can call me out in the comments.

The pressure as a player you feel because you know your teammates are going to give 100% so you know you have to as well. I think that this type of pressure is a good kind of pressure because it makes you care about what happens in the game. I don’t know if its desire, expectation or pride to do your best or maybe its all three.

These are all very important emotions to develop and can be carried over into something like work. As an employee if you can relate the same feeling to your workplace then you will be more motivated and produce the highest possible results. Its one of the reasons that workplaces do team building exercises. To promote create this sense of teamwork and responsibility.