"Football" (whether you are referring to Rugby League, Rugby Union, Aussie Rules or Soccer) are all popular and beloved sports in and around Brisbane.
Too often we will see a patient select a boot simply because of the colour or their friends have them. This can lead to issues!
In this article, we'll explore how to select the right boot for you, common injuries orthotics can help with, and how a podiatrist can design custom football boot orthotics to address specific foot and ankle issues.
Consideration 1. Boots with shorter studs
Brisbane and surrounding areas often feature firmer grounds due to the warmer climate and less frequent rainfall, which can impact your grip and increase the risk of foot and lower limb injuries. To stay comfortable and reduce injury risk, shorter studs are more suitable on the dry, harder grounds in most cases.
When asking yourself "What football boots should I buy?" it’s important to consider the ground type you’ll be playing on. Shorter studs are ideal for firmer surfaces like those commonly found in Brisbane.
Key benefits of shorter studs include:
Reduced Pressure on the Feet: Long studs can concentrate force on small areas of the foot, potentially exacerbating pain or injury.
Better Movement Efficiency: Boots with shorter studs often feel lighter and allow for quicker, more agile movements on harder surfaces.
Reduced risk of acute knee injuries: Research suggests that ACL injuries are significantly more common on artificial surfaces compared to natural grass. This is thought to occur because a firmly planted foot can prevent natural movement, leaving the knee vulnerable to excessive strain or "buckling" under load. A similar principle may apply to football boots: excessive stud length or overly aggressive grip could increase the risk of such injuries by restricting foot movement and placing undue stress on the knee joint.
If you play regularly in Brisbane or similar areas with firm grounds, ensuring your boots are suitable for these conditions is the first step to staying injury-free and comfortable.
Consideration 2. Boots with removable insoles
Boots with removable insoles are ideal for players who use custom orthotics or require additional support. The ability to swap out the factory insole for a custom orthotic allows for a more personalised fit and better versatility when treating particular conditions. For example, choosing the right football boots for plantar fasciitis may ensure you can remove the current insoles and replace them with a custom foot orthotic. This can significantly improve comfort and help manage this condition.
Feature 3. Boots with a padded midsole for cushioning
A midsole is the layer of material between the outsole (the part of the boot in contact with the ground) and the upper. While some football boots lack a midsole to reduce weight, those with midsoles offer significant benefits, especially for players experiencing pain or injury:
Shock Absorption: Midsoles help to cushion the impact forces generated by running, jumping, and sudden stops, reducing stress on the feet and lower limbs.
Reduced Fatigue: The extra cushioning can make boots more comfortable for extended play, decreasing foot and leg fatigue.
Injury Mitigation: By absorbing shock and distributing pressure evenly, midsoles can help prevent overuse injuries such as shin splints, plantar fasciopathy, or sesamoiditis.
Materials like EVA foam or polyurethane are commonly used for midsoles, offering a good balance of comfort and performance. If you’re specifically looking for football boots for shin splints, finding a pair with a padded midsole can provide relief and enhance comfort during play. The ASICS Gel Lethal is a great starting point if you are looking for a boot with a padded midsole.
How Custom Orthotics Enhance Performance and Reduce Pain
Modern custom orthotics are slim, lightweight, and designed to fit seamlessly into football boots. Unlike generic insoles, custom orthotics are tailored to the individual’s foot structure, injury history, and activity level. A podiatrist takes into account many factors when designing them.
Key features of football-specific custom orthotics:
Slim Fit for Football Boots: Custom orthotics are designed to fit snugly into tight football boots without affecting comfort or performance.
Targeted Support: Podiatrists use detailed assessments and scripting to create orthotics that address specific issues.
Durability: Football-specific orthotics are made from high-quality materials to withstand the rigours of the game.
Enhanced Comfort: Custom orthotics help reduce discomfort and fatigue, allowing players to focus on their game.
For more information on custom foot orthotics and how they might be able to help, take a look at our Custom Foot Orthotics blog for a detailed breakdown of the process.
Common Injuries Custom Orthotics Can Assist With
Even with the right boots, football players are prone to a range of foot and lower limb injuries, especially on harder playing surfaces. Custom orthotics, designed specifically for football boots, can provide the support and cushioning needed to prevent and manage these injuries.
Sever’s Disease Sever’s disease is a common heel pain condition in young athletes aged between 8 and 14. It is often caused by repetitive stress and pressure on the growth plate in the heel. Playing on firm grounds can worsen this condition due to the increased impact on the heel during running and jumping.
How orthotics help:
Custom orthotics provide accurate arch support to redistribute pressure away from the growth plate. They can also include heel cushioning to minimize the impact forces directly under the heel.
For more information on managing Sever’s Disease, check out our Sever’s Disease blog for detailed advice and treatment options.
Sesamoiditis
Sesamoiditis involves inflammation of the small sesamoid bones under the ball of the big toe joint, which can be aggravated by firm surfaces and the repetitive push-off motions required in football.
How orthotics help:
Orthotics with added padding under the ball of the foot help absorb shock and offload pressure from the sesamoid bones. A podiatrist can design orthotics that provide targeted relief for this condition.
For players experiencing sesamoiditis, choosing the right football boots for sesamoiditis with additional cushioning and support can complement the benefits of custom orthotics in managing the condition.
Plantar Fasciopathy:
Plantar fasciopathy, often called plantar fasciitis, causes pain in the arch or heel due to decreased tissue capacity of the plantar fascia to deal with the loads placed upon it.
How orthotics help:
Custom orthotics can be designed to provide accurate arch support to redistribute pressure away from the plantar fascia. They can also include heel cushioning to minimise the impact forces directly under the affected area.
For those dealing with plantar fasciitis, choosing the right football boots for plantar fasciitis can enhance comfort and help manage pain during play. As mentioned above, make sure to look for a boot with a removable insole and cushioned midsole for reduce the strain on the plantar fascia.
For more guidance on managing this condition, check out our Best Exercises for Plantar Fasciitis Relief: How a Podiatrist Can Help You Recover blog.
Ankle Instability and Sprains
Frequent twisting or rolling of the ankle is common in football and can lead to lateral ankle instability, particularly if the player has a history of ankle sprains. Instead of repeated strapping of the ankles—which can become time-consuming and irritate the skin-a well-designed orthotic can perform a similar function.
How orthotics help:
Custom orthotics designed with increased lateral wedging and deeper heel cups can provide extra stability and reduce the overall risk of ankle sprains.
Shin Splints and MTSS
Pain coursing along the inside of the shins is common in football players, especially those who play on hard surfaces or engage in intense training.
How orthotics help:
A well-designed orthotic for this condition often incorporates rearfoot and forefoot medial wedging. This shifts the ground reaction forces more towards the middle and outer parts of the shins, helping to alleviate pain.
To complement orthotics, selecting the best football boots for shin splints with additional cushioning and support can also help reduce the strain on the shins.
For more information on treating shin splints, check out our Shin Splints: An In-Depth Guide to Understanding and Treating Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome blog.
Tips for Selecting Football Boots with Orthotics in Mind
When choosing football boots, it’s important to consider how they’ll work with your orthotics.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Roomy Fit: Look for boots with enough depth and width to accommodate orthotics comfortably.
Removable Insoles: Boots with removable insoles make it easier to insert custom orthotics.
Our best advice, if you’re struggling with any foot or leg pain after playing football, consult with the team at My Family Podiatry. Bring in your current boots and if you’re going to get some new boots, make sure to bring them in before you wear them. This way we can assess and make sure the boots are right for you and if not, you can still take them back and swap them.
So if last football season saw you sidelined or struggling with injury, book and appointment with the team at My Family Podiatry and lets make sure you are in the right boots for next season.
ความคิดเห็น