Whether you call them soccer cleats or football boots, the shoes you wear on the pitch are essential to your success. The soccer cleat got its less-than-humble beginning as part of a king's wardrobe and has continued into the 21st century as one of the most technologically advanced sports goods on the market.
How Cleats Work
Players of the early 1800s wore leather work boots to play soccer. The boots offered a large striking surface to kick the ball, as well as a durable outside that stood up against the rigors of the game. By the end of the century, players were incorporating metal studs and tacks into the soles. These nail-in spikes gave players greater grip of the field and reduced the likelihood falling when running on a wet surface.
Screw-In Studs
Brothers Adi and Rudolf Dassler worked together on their family's eponymous shoe company. According to Adidas' corporate history, a falling out between the brothers in 1948 led to a split, with each starting their own competing brand. Adi would begin Adidas, while Rudi opened Puma. Within a few years, each would release their own version of a football boot with interchangeable studs. This screw-in cleat could be adjusted for depth to adapt to field conditions and turf thickness.
The King's Wardrobe
Football boots were listed among the items in Britain's King Henry VIII's Great Wardrobe of 1526. According to Footy-Boots.com, a retailer of soccer shoes with an extensive authoritative history of the sport, these were the first documented soccer shoes. The boots were made of strong leather, rose to the ankle and were built specifically so his highness could play the sport on the castle grounds. The king's personal shoemaker constructed the boot at a cost of four shillings, or the April 2011 equivalent of $161.
Performance Booster
Better field grip is a benefit of wearing cleats. The drawback is the extra weight added to the foot. A heavier foot is less agile, giving defenders extra time to steal the ball away. Nike's first Mercurial was the lightest shoe on the market during the mid-1990s, according to soccer fan website Talk Football. Its release, and subsequent endorsement by Brazilian superstar Ronaldo, led to a race by other shoemakers to develop the next lightest shoe. In April 2011, the AdiZero prime was the lightest show on the market at 145g. Puma's v1.10 SL follows at 155g.
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