Saying that football kickers wear all kinds of shoes is like saying that the surface of the sun is pretty hot. Football kickers choose their shoes based on a number of factors, including the surface the game is played on, the weather conditions and the personal preference of the kicker. According to a 2009 study led by Dr. Mark Vilwock, the kind of shoe worn by football players can even determine how likely they are to get injured.
Grass Surface
Grass is a tricky surface to play football on. One step could be on solid footing, and the next step could be on a piece of torn-out sod where a 350-pound lineman dug his foot in. To keep their traction on grass surfaces, kickers typically wear football cleats on grass. This is especially helpful if the grass is wet. The length of the pegs in the bottom of the cleats will vary considerably, and this is completely at the discretion of the kicker.
Turf Surface
Turf surfaces provide very little padding to position players being driven into the ground. For kickers, however, turf provides fantastic footing regardless of whether that 350-pound lineman has just stepped in that very spot five minutes ago. For turf surfaces, kickers will typically wear special turf shoes that are designed specifically to grab onto the artificial grass material that is laid out on the field. The tops of the shoes look similar to cleats, but the bottoms have dozens of small gripping bumps.
Sizes
The types of shoes kickers wear may vary from player to player, and so do the sizes of shoes. Some kickers wear full-size shoes on their kicking foot, whereas other kickers wear shoes that are much smaller and provide very little padding. Wearing a smaller shoe allows the kicker to have more control over the exact spot that his foot will meet the ball, without the risk that an oversized cleat will get in the way.
Considerations
Occasionally, kickers will make an unorthodox decision. For example, some won't wear any shoe at all on their kicking foot. This has its advantages and disadvantages. It helps the kicker have full control over the angle and impact point when he kicks the ball. On the other hand, it hurts the kicker too -- sometimes literally: If he is forced to chase after a ball-carrier, he will have little or no traction on that foot. Another player may even inadvertently step on the kicker's foot, which can cause serious and even career-threatening injuries.
References
- "The American Journal of Sports Medicine": Football Playing Surface and Shoe Design Affect Rotation Traction: MR Vilwock, et al: Mar 2009
- Professional Kicking Services, Inc: Kicking Shoes
- Nike: Nike Zoom Vapor Carbon Fly Men's Footbal Cleat
- Adidas: Scorch Destroy Turf Low Cleats
- "Sports Illustrated": Barefoot Kickers
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