The needs of a soccer player planting her nonkicking foot or an offensive lineman trying to create a gap for the running back dictate different footwear designs. The soccer player needs to create a stable plant foot and maximum forward force on the ball, whereas the lineman must try to contain another player bringing stunts and several hundred pounds of body weight. Sports shoe manufacturers tailor the outsoles and uppers of soccer and football cleats accordingly.
History
Both sports developed in the late 19th century: football in American Ivy League colleges and soccer in English schools and clubs. And both at first adapted everyday boots to their respective sports, gradually adding small conical projections made of leather to the soles for added traction. Thus were born studs or cleats. Beginning in the 1930s, when the first World Cup was played in Uruguay, and continuing through the 1950s, the Latin American style of soccer inspired cleats that evolved from a boot-like appearance to a low-cut slipper look, allowing for greater speed in running and better control of the ball.
Cleat Pattern
Modern soccer cleats typically have four studs in the heel and eight in the forefoot in a balanced, bilateral pattern and without a toe cleat. Football cleats feature two to four heel studs and five to 10 studs in the forefoot, including a toe cleat, either a single one or a pair at very front of the sole. The number of cleats depends on the position, with receivers and running backs wearing shoes with fewer cleats than linemen, explains former pro player Howie Long in "Football for Dummies." Football cleats are not permitted in soccer leagues because of the risk of injury from the toe cleat, particularly during slide tackles.
Cleat Length
On fast, dry fields, football players wear ½-inch cleats. On a slippery grass field, the player switches to a ¾-inch or 1-inch cleat. Football cleats can be either molded in a permanent outsole or detachable. Soccer shoes typically feature permanent molded cleats on the outsole, but certain models that do feature detachable studs range in length from 12 to 16 mm, or right around a half inch. Both soccer and football players dispense with cleats on artificial surfaces and rely instead on indoor or turf shoes with several dozen short rubber nubs.
Cut
Football cleats provide ankle support. For example, linemen wear high-tops to help the ankle during lateral movements. A mid-cut football shoe works best for skill players, such as backs, receivers and the quarterback. Some skill players may prefer low-cut cleats because they are lightweight. Soccer shoes since the 1950s have invariably been low-cut as pioneered by Adi Dassler, founder of Adidas, whose lightweight models helped Germany gain an edge in speed and win the World Cup in 1954.
References
- Antique Athlete.com: 1940's Spot-Bilt Football Shoes with "Flat-toed" Kicking Shoe
- "Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia"; Margo DeMello; 2009
- Kickoff via Ravenna Youth Football League; Football Cleats - 5 Things to Know; March 2007
- "Football For Dummies"; Howie Long et al., 2007
- Sports Authority: How To Buy Football Cleats
- "An American Parent's Guide to Soccer"; Jeffrey Sanderson; 2003
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