Global sporting giants have been accused of letting women down by not going far enough in designing boots to meet the specific needs of female feet.
Experts told talkSPORT that neither traditional boots nor “gender neutral” boots properly suit women’s physiology and body mechanics.
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Although major brands claim to promote women’s football and design “inclusive” products, talkSPORT’s analysis reveals a lack of boots designed solely for women’s feet.
The findings come as the number of women and girls playing organized football will rise to 16.6 million in 2023.
talkSPORT has discovered that Nike launched the Phantom Luna last year, its first shoe designed “with her in mind”.
But this boot is technically unisex because it comes in men’s sizes and uses an outsole found in many boots aimed at men.
Adidas hasn’t released a shoe specifically aimed at women since 2016. During the same period, the company spent over a billion euros on general research and development.
Under Armor hadn’t released a boot specifically designed for women until last year.
The findings have sparked concern among specialists in women’s physiology, with associate professor of sports medicine at St Mary’s University Kat Okholm Kryger saying the situation is “of course” failing women and girls.
She says female athletes typically have narrower heels, a higher arch and wider hips, which affects how pressure is placed on their feet.
The outsoles of most boots are intended for men’s traction and grip, which impacts the knees.
But since women are generally lighter and smaller, it is argued that they need models tailored to their own body mechanics.
Laura Youngson, CEO of IDA Sports, a brand dedicated to women’s football boots, said: “Women are not being served the way they could be. »
Nike did not respond to a request for comment on its experience designing women’s soccer shoes.
Adidas told talkSPORT that rather than designing boots for the exclusive needs of women and girls, it designs gender-neutral boots.
A spokesperson said: “While we have previously created limited edition women’s football boots, such as the Anja in 2016, our most recent products are designed for both men and women.”
In a letter to the Women and Equalities Committee in August last year, Adidas revealed that it was taking “a more inclusive approach in the design of football boots that are not tailored to the foot of a specific sex”.
“Having one shoe and one size is not the solution,” added Professor Okholm Kryger. “You can call a soccer shoe whatever you want, but the key factor is that it’s actually designed to meet the needs of a male and female soccer player, and those two are different. “
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This comes as women’s football faces an alarming number of ACL injuries.
Women are eight times more likely than men to suffer a career-ending injury, according to a Yale Medicine study, and stars like Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, Arsenal’s Beth Mead and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr are doing so. part of those who were victims.
Okholm Kryger’s 2022 report reveals that injury risk was one of many concerns about not having women’s-only football boots.
She says there is no proven link between women’s boot design and ACL injuries, but adds: “We have to consider every factor, and I believe this is one of them.” »
Brands such as IDA Sports have rejected the gender neutral stance.
Laura Youngson told talkSPORT that IDA is fighting against the “shrink it and pink it” approach, which she says is taken by many big sports brands.
“I think traditionally there was a feeling that all women had to do was shrink men’s products, take the designs off of them and just slap pink on them, because all women like pink,” she said.
“It kind of embodies the fact that women are an afterthought.”
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Former Sheffield United striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk told us she wasn’t surprised by the lack of shoes available for women.
“I think a lot of the time it comes down to business decisions, so fairness and equality will only be used if it makes financial sense, and that’s the world we live in,” he said. she declared.
This is not the first time Nike has been embroiled in controversy surrounding women’s soccer products.
Ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the company was criticized for not making Mary Earps’ goalkeeper jersey, a decision it reversed course on after public outcry.
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Nike
talkSPORT contacted Nike three times and asked about its women’s boots.
talkSPORT also requested an interview with Dr Elysia Davies, Senior Researcher at the Nike Sports Research Lab.
Nike did not respond at any time.
In 1999, Nike made a shoe for American football star Mia Hamm, but failed to respond to talkSPORT’s investigation to establish that it had been entirely and scientifically designed around the specific needs of women.
talkSPORT’s research revealed the Phantom Luna “reinvented a boot with her at the center of the process” – but it’s not exclusively aimed at women.
Nike recognizes the increased risk of ACL injuries in women and says its unisex Phantom Luna boot helps reduce the risk of knee injuries.
At the time of publication, there were 111 women’s football shoes and boots on offer on the Nike website.
This appears to be the same list as the 111 boots classified as unisex.
Adidas
Adidas responded to talkSPORT’s request.
The company told us, “We have a long-standing tradition of designing products by, with and for women” and that its products “are designed for women playing at all levels.”
They added: “All Adidas shoes are tested to the highest standards with gender parity. »
Under protection
Under Armor did not specifically respond to talkSPORT’s questions, but sent a link to its YouTube channel where it unveiled its first women’s specific shoe, the Magnetico, ahead of the World Cup in 2023.
Puma
Puma has bucked the trend by creating a number of boots specifically designed for women and girls since 2021 and invested in a research study exploring ACL injuries in women.
You can watch talkSPORT’s women’s football show on Mondays from 7pm on talkSPORT 2.
