Yesterday was an amazing night of football. In the FIFA world cup Holland stood against Australia aka the Socceroos. While I’m still in the football atmosphere I thought it would be fun to write a short article about the evolution of soccer boots.

The first soccer boot was created in 1525 by a Englishman called Cornelius Johnson. He was the King Henry VIII personal shoe maker. Because they were mentioned on the Great Wardrobe, a shopping list of the day. They cost 4 shillings, the equivalent of €125 by current exchange rates.

In the 1800’s football was gaining popularity throughout Britain. Soccer boots were mostly steel nosed and heavy leather working boots with tags or metal studs hammered into them to increase ground grip and stability.

In 1924 two brothers formed the Gebruder Dassler Schuhfabrik in which they produced football boots. Later on these brothers had a falling out and they both created their own brands. Adolf Dassler founded Adidas. Rudolf Dassler created Puma. These two brands are off course among the biggest brands such as Nike. Puma started producing the Puma Atom football boot. This boot featured interchangeable studs made of rubber or plastic.
Nowadays football boots are produced as light as possible. This gives athletes the cutting edge in speed and stability on the playing field. But As the debate rages with regards the lack of protection given by modern football boots, and the repercussion in terms of player injuries, there seems little to suggest that the major manufacturers are going to give up their quest for the lightest football boot for a more protective one.

Coaches on the other hand have to look sharp and authorative when on the field. When looking for examples we found Niko Kovač, coach of the national footbalteam of Croatia. And looks like he is taking care of them too! Want to know how? Check our video tutorial on mirror shining.