When David Beckham was stretchered off of the field in Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final with Deportivo La Coruna in 2002, many thought that England’s World Cup hopes for Japan and Korea that summer were being carted along off with him.
A ferocious challenge from the feisty Argentine midfielder Aldo Duscher broke the second metatarsal in Beckham’s left foot, leaving his participation in the tournament in jeopardy. 8-10 weeks on the sidelines was the initial diagnosis.
Beckham returned in six, featuring in all of England’s games at the tournament and smashing a penalty past the Argies, on course to sealing a 1-0 victory in the group stage fixture. We know how that story ended though, so I will stop talking about 2002 now as we do not need another reminder of past England failures on the eve of the next World Cup!
How is it though, that these footballers make such miraculous recoveries before crucial games and major tournaments, allowing them to fly straight back into action, and more importantly into tackles as if they were never away?
We know modern medicine and the standard of physiotherapy at the top clubs in the game is exceptional nowadays, with spaceman-like protective boots, facial masks, oxygen tanks and the like playing a pivotal part in recovery. Every injury still has a given recuperation period though, so do we seriously believe that touching our heroes injured foot on a picture from a newspaper cutting, as many have done in the lead up to the past two World Cups, and praying for divine intervention is the answer? Well no would be my guess. Unless you are either mental or of the Uri Gellar/Eileen Drury faith-healing mould!
The answer, more often than not, lies in the customisation and modification of the football boot.
Individually Crafted Cleats
The majority of professional footballers in the top-flight no longer receive the standard versions of the latest Nike T90 Laser III, Adidas Predator X or Adidas f50i Tunit that the public can go and buy off of the shelves, but instead wear their own individually crafted cleats, with added protection often included for areas of the foot where players have previously been injured or are prone to discomfort. In fact Messi is renound for meddling with his boots, his current cleats are in fact an amalgamation of both the Adidas f50i and the Adidas f30i!
Beckham’s boot of choice in 2002, the Champagne Gold Adidas Predator Mania, not only included the usual embroidery of his squad number and child’s name but they were also modified by Adidas to give extra protection to his left foot which had been hampered by the injury.
The leather across the top of the foot on the left boot was a lot thicker than that on the right and also contained tiny mesh-like metal rods on the inside of the shoe to prevent any further damage to his bones. This meant for the duration of the tournament Beckham had to play with one boot heavier than the other, having a fresh pair flown out to him before every game, with each including the flags and names of England and their opponents and the usual Brooklyn and number 7 tags he carried at the time.
Nigel Quashie, who is currently plying his trade at Queen’s Park Rangers, also called upon an alteration in his footwear to allow him to cope with the pain on return from injury. After a collision with Pascal Chimbonda in a game for West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, he was left with a hole in his ankle bone, damage to his cartilage and fearing whether he would ever be able to play professional football again.
Quashie said: “We tried many different ways to try to get me used to the running demands of the game, but I found that every time I did break sweat I had precious little support in my boots.
“The ankle support just wasn’t doing enough to help my ankle. At times it seems like I’d only ever feel comfortable if I had two sponges strapped to my feet, but expert podiatrist Trevor Prior helped me to look into the possibilities of modifying the football boots, and after discussions with some specialists we came up with the solution.
“To the untrained eye they look like standard insoles, but they have been specially formed, contoured, developed and tested at great length to ensure they are exactly tailored to my feet, my ankles, and the physical aftermath of the injury, so that they protect in the right places where we know my ankles are most at threat.”
“I never dreamed that something as simple as an insole and a boot that works with it could do so much, but it’s true to say that the combination has saved my career.”
The foot of god
In the past, and way before the technology like that on hand for Beckham and Quashie was made available, players often had to find ways to customise and adjust their own footwear. Whilst playing for Barcelona in 1983, Diego Maradona somewhat unconventionally modified his cleats to cope with the pain of injury after having his left ankle shattered in a crunching tackle by Atletico Bilbao defender Andoni Goicoechea, the man dubbed “The Butcher of Bilbao”. The ankle injury was so troublesome for Maradona that three years later, during the 1986 World Cup, he was forced to wear two different sized Puma boots to make the pain in his ankle bearable. Argentina went on to win the 1986 World Cup and Maradona was named player of the tournament, so quite a useful adjustment nonetheless.
Aside from preventing injuries, there are many reasons behind the customisation of football boots.
In the design of the new Nike T90 Laser III for example, Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres were consulted as to what they wanted included the new boot and invited along to the Nike sports lab to give the thumbs up (or down) to potential features in the design during the development stages. They gave feedback on the prototypes for the boot, ensuring that it was Nike’s best yet in terms of the striking and control of the ball.
It is a common trend now in boot design. As the manufacturers are looking for the best possible performance from their footballing figureheads to promote their boots, they are starting to tailor each design more to the player’s own personal needs. Lighter boots for wingers, such as the New Nike Superfly II (which Cristiano Ronaldo helped design in a similar way to Rooney and Torres) and heavier, more durable designs for the centre halves out there, like the Puma Powercats that Nemanja Vidic sports and John Terry’s Umbro Speciali.
The obvious alterations are soles moulded to fit the shape of a particular player’s foot and also personal construction in the dimensions of the boot, as some players have wider feet than others and have this compensated for by the manufacturers. Sadly the public do not have this luxury available and as in many cases with the Nike Vapor over the years, boots can be too narrow for the wearer, even in their correct size, meaning that you have to shop around a bit more to find the most comfortable pair and manufacturer to suit you.
As John O’Shea revealed to us last week, players now put the boots through stringent tests on the training field before they are deemed fit to play in and every boot faces heavy scrutiny from club podiatrists.
Many professional players make minor adjustments to their footwear to improve their performance. Andres Iniesta has had an additional red stud applied to his Nike CTR 360 Maestri boot this season to allow for greater traction on the boot and to improve stability, which is essential for a player renowned for sharp turns and quick changes of pace. Some players, such as Ronaldo, choose to wear a combination of FG and SG studs so they can gain the benefits of both on the field. The soles of his boots are often reinforced with additional carbon fibre.
It all goes to show us that beneath the flashy colours and trendy logos on the outside of the cleat, the inside and construction of the design is more crucial than we may think to the performance of the player. I have always been told that is the player and not the boot that makes a great footballer. However, maybe on this evidence the boot is more important and deserves more credit than we have ever allowed it.
If you have spotted any other boot customisation please send us a photo or post a link below! There is a £10.00 voucher up for grabs, for the best find.
I knew it! Been reading a lot of the stuff on Bigsoccer so its really good to read an indepth article. Must have taken ages to write.I suppose it makes sense, if I was Fergy I wouldnt have my players who are earning 100k+ a week running out in £100 cleats. Youd want the best support and protection available.
Good article Joe, A lot of interesting facts, which I must admit I never knew. The Maradona info is particularly interesting. Great read!