Size Me Up: The demand for women's tailored football boots
The number of women playing soccer and AFLW has surged at grassroots and elite levels in recent years. But for many girls and women, finding well-fitting boots involves an expedition across sports stores and size ranges. The majority of football...
REPORTING and PRODUCED by GILLIAN AERIA
FILMED and GRAPHICS by KERO SUN
The number of women playing soccer and AFLW has surged at both grassroots and elite levels, but for many girls and women, finding well-fitting boots is near impossible.
The majority of football boots on the market are manufactured specifically for men, so women need to calculate what their equivalent men's size would be. For women and adolescent girls who have smaller feet, they will likely have to search the children’s section.
Women typically have a wider forefoot and narrower heel compared to men and this anatomical difference is reflected in the range and fit of running shoes. Despite this, many of the same footwear manufacturers market their range of football boots as unisex.
In this mini-documentary, MOJO News meets players from Watsonia Heights FC and Melbourne Amazons FC to find out what it’s like trying to find well-fitting boots. We also sit down with podiatrist, Bernadette Meade to find out how male and female biomechanics differ, and whether women really need football boots tailored for women.
