Women's football: 82% of pro female footballers say uncomfortable boots affect performance

England captain Leah Williamson is missing the World Cup this year because of a knee injury, and has spoken out about the need for more kit and technology designed specifically for women's needs

A new study has shown that 82% of women footballers at top European clubs say that uncomfortable boots affect their performance.

The research took place over 18 months and was done by the European Clubs Association (ECA) which represents Europe's clubs. They asked 350 players from 16 top-tier teams if the design and fit of their boots affected their performance.

Around one in five said they had to make changes to their boots in order to make them comfortable enough to play in.

A report published in the Sports Engineering journal last year found that boots shared that most of the football boots on the market have been designed to fit men, and sports scientists have previously criticized the lack of football kit properly designed for women, saying it could put women and girls at a higher risk of injury.

Girls often end up wearing boots designed mainly for boys

"The numbers were staggering," said Claire Bloomfield, the ECA's head of women's football. "We knew we were going to find something but those numbers really did shock us all.

"It highlighted the importance of this work and why it needs to be done now."

The new research also showed that more than one in three (34%) of the female players who took part in the survey, said they felt discomfort specifically in their heels.

Most of those who did said they used special insoles and some even said they needed to cut holes in their boots to stop them from constantly rubbing and causing painful blisters.

48% of black female players experienced painful heels whilst playing in their football boots

The ECA also found that heel discomfort was much higher in black players (48%), compared with in white footballers (32%).

"That highlights the fact that one size doesn't fit all and ethnicity plays a part in that too." said Dr Katrine Kryger, a sports rehabilitation lecturer from St Mary's University, which supported the ECA in its research.

Sports scientists have said they are worried about the number of professional female players suffering from knee injuries, which studies have show are much more common in women compared to men.

Getting the right boots for women and girls

After two years of research Nike introduced a female-specific design called The Phantom Luna (June 2023)

Lots of boot makers have now said they are working on creating boots specifically for women in time for the Women's World Cup in 2023.

"Our objective is pretty simple and that's to get the right shoe to fit every women and girl playing football worldwide," said Charlie Marshall, the ECA's chief executive officer.

The first part of the research is yet to be reviewed by other professionals and published, but the hope is that it will be given to football boot brands to help them to create designs specifically for women.