PJ from Southend asks:
I find buying new boots is a bit of a lottery, and for every new pair that fit like a glove, there are another pair that make me endure pain and blisters for a good few weeks when I first get them. How should I really
be breaking in new football boots, then? Any help gratefully received. Thanks.
Ransacker says:
Well PJ, boots are much like any other form of footwear. How often do you hear about women wearing their shoes around the house, or contending with all manner of foot complaints, just so that their feet can mould into the leather to eventually get ‘the right fit’?
In addition, many footballers are now subscribing to the idea that football boots should be tight in order to gain the most precise contact possible and thus better performance. There appears to be an element of truth in this, but the tighter the boots is, the more chance you’re going to be limping round in some pain for the next few days waiting for new skin to grow over your blisters!
The first rule is to make sure your boots are the right size. A boot that’s too big is as useless as a boot that’s too small, and as much as you may feel you are gaining important margins of performance by wearing ultra-tight boots, what’s the point of being more accurate if you’re stuck on the sidelines injured?!
Try and follow the lead set by our respective maidens and wear the boots in as much as possible before you play. The leather needs to get used to your feet just as your feet need to get used to the boot, so kick-off a beautiful relationship with a stroll around the park.. however daft you may look!
Remember too that you don’t need to throw out an old pair straight away, however great the temptation to show off your new purchase. Why not use the new boots for a couple of hours at a time, then swap with your older boots? This means your feet are not trapped in a new environment, and it’ll also help your own switch in playing style and performance between the two cleats.
And never forget that your after-match care of new boots is as important as your pre-match attention. Make sure the boots are cleaned well after the game, stuff them with paper, keep them in a warm place, and give the leather as much time as possible to recover. Your boots will appreciate it and, and so will your feet!
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About the author
James is an experienced football journalist who edits two leading Premier League club mags. He has worked for Sky Sports and is endlessly complaining about shin splints. And Mark Lawrenson. His favourite boot is the Adidas Predator Powerswerve. Although it's rumored that he once owned a pair of Nicks boots!
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