KIDS FOOTWEAR BUYING GUIDE: AFL BOOTS
by Gerrard Woods, Director, Sportsmart
Sportsmart stocks a wide range of children’s footwear for a variety of sports.
Our buying guides provide some useful information to help parents know what features to look for in shoes for their kids.
Our footwear staff can help with further information and fitting in-store, to help ensure kids get the best shoes for their needs.
AFL BOOTS
Upper material
The material that covers the upper of the boot. The most common upper materials are leather (kangaroo or cow) or synthetic.
Contributes to the overall comfort of the boot. Leather upper stretches and provides a better fit than synthetic materials, although it is not waterproof and must be cared for to be as durable as synthetic versions.
Studs
Studs are the objects that are raised from the outsole underneath a boot. There are three types available:
Hard ground – made from rubber and slightly soft
Firm ground – slightly longer than hard ground studs
Soft ground – generally made from metal or nylon that screw into the bottom of the boot. Suitable for wet and muddy surfaces.
Studs provide the grip on the playing surface. These days, as sports grounds are receiving less water, firm ground studs are the preferred choice. Make sure you choose an appropriate stud/sole for all the surfaces your child plays on. Check with your league about their rules with regard to studs.
Fit
How well the boots fit your child. As football involves kicking, the fit should be tight but comfortable.
Ensure your child tries on AFL boots with footy socks, as they are a lot thicker than regular socks. If you forget, Sportsmart has suitable try-on socks in store.
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Hi,
My foot rolls in a lot and I was wondering which boot would be the best boot for me. I’ll use the boot for Australian Rules football, football (soccer) and a little bit of Gaelic football, but mainly Australian Rules. I’m a size 6. (I think that’s in US)
Thanks
Hi – No football boots have exactly what you need which is a medial post like what you would find in running shoes.
The reason for this is you move in all different ways in a game of football unlike running which is just a forward motion. The medial post is a harder section of foam so this would actually create un-stability on one side of your boots and could lead to ankle and knee injuries. The best boot I could suggest would be something from the Asics Gel Lethal range which are seen as the best supportive/protective football boots available as well as purchasing a high quality innersole with arch support.
Hope this answers your question.