Soccer Cleats: Part 1 of 4 – Overview
Soccer Cleats: Part 2 of 4 – Fit
Soccer Cleats: Part 3 of 4 – Female Fit
Women’s Soccer Cleat Design
Commercially Available Cleats Specifically Designed for Women’s Feet
When Should I See a Podiatrist?
Soccer Cleats: Part 4 of 4 – Traction and Studs
Women’s Soccer Cleat Design:
Most non-dress women’s shoes suffer from the same “shrink it and pink it” syndrome used by shoe and gear manufacturers across industries, sports, and activities. Functionally non-dress women’s are not that different from men’s shoes. The main differences are for a given length of shoe the women’s version will be narrower than the equivalent men’s shoes of the same length, and color and aesthetics will be more feminine. In other words, “shrink it and pink it.”
Some women’s soccer cleats break this trend and are biomechanically designed specifically for the needs of the female foot.
Women overall tend to have higher arches, narrower heels, and wider toe splay proportionally than men. These differences are often not accommodated in traditionally designed shoes and cleats. Women’s feet are generally more triangular shaped than men’s, with a wider forefoot in relation to a narrower heel. Women wearing cleats actually fit for a woman’s foot, is a novel concept in comfort and performance /s. One might say game changing.
Women tend to have a greater “Q angle” than males due to a wider pelvis. This contributes to pronation (the natural tendency knees and ankles to lean inwards) and greater stress on the ACL. Research suggests hormonal fluctuations during late phase 2 of the menstrual cycle, the pre-ovulatory phase, when estrogen levels are highest and progesterone levels are low, can temporarily increase ligament laxity and reduce tensile strength. This creates windows of time when female athletes face a greater risk of ligament injuries to the knees and ankles. Female athletes are 4-8 times more likely to tear the ACL than male counterparts. Wearing a cleat focused on reducing the strain on your knees and ankles is truly game changing.
In saying all of this, pairing the studs to the playing surface is probably more important than the shoe design in injury prevention. Some women’s specific soccer cleats have studs with independent movement, or which are shorter and more conically shaped. These features improve rotational release from the ground and lower rotational torque on the ankle and the knee. Improper cleat selection can result in “stick and twist” (also known as rotational traction) injuries. These injuries include knees injuries such as ACL tears and strains, meniscus tears. They also include ankle injuries such as ankle sprains, high ankle sprains, ankle fractures, and fifth metatarsal (Jones) fractures.
Commercially Available Cleats Specifically Designed for Women’s Feet:
IDA Sports
IDA Sports was the first company to launch cleats made specifically for women. IDA cleats feature a female specific last with improved arch support, narrower heel cups, and wider toe boxes. Their studs are shorter and more conical. The stud configuration is designed to place less pressure beneath the sesamoid bones under the great toe joint. They have a removable sock liner which can be replaced with an over-the-counter insole or 3D printed custom orthotic if necessary.
Caddix
Caddix cleats feature a female specific last with improved arch support, narrower heel cups, padded heel counters, and wider toe boxes. They also have the SmartStuds system, which unlike fixed-studs, allows controlled flex and release under rotation. This stud motion reduces foot-to-turf coupling and helps limit torsional load on the ankle and knee during cutting maneuvers.
Adidas
The Adidas F50 Sparkfusion cleats feature a female specific last with improved arch support, increased midfoot volume, narrower heel cups, and custom stud configuration.
Puma
Puma makes several shoes with their Women’s Fit and Women’s Fit 2.0 female specific lasts.|
Nike
Nike for a short time made the Phantom Luna with a female specific last. This has been discontinued, however.
When Should I See a Podiatrist?
You know your body, and you know when something does not feel right. The big question is, when should you actually get it checked out? You should see a sports foot and ankle specialist and podiatrist for an evaluation if:
• You have had a significant injury.
• It has been a week or two after an injury and it is not calming down or improving, or if it is getting worse. These are clear signs it is time for an evaluation.
• You are dealing with ongoing swelling, limited movement, or pain which is affecting how you walk, run, or play.
• A joint feels unstable, or like it might give out. Do not try to push through it.
• Over the counter inserts or standard custom orthotics are not fitting well, are not comfortable, or are not providing adequate support and protection in the shoe, consider having us manufacture a custom orthotic 3D printed to fit your foot exactly. This service will require 3D modeling of your feet.
• Over the counter inserts or standard custom orthotics are not fitting well in your shoe, consider having us manufacture a custom orthotic 3D printed to fit inside your shoe exactly. This service will require 3D modeling of your feet and leaving the shoe with us during the manufacturing process.
• You would like to have your feet evaluated and discuss preventative care to help you achieve and stay at your goal performance level.
At Chugach Sports Foot and Ankle, we work with athletes and active individuals of all levels who want to return to activity and prevent injury. Schedule an appointment today and let us help get you back in the game!
Soccer Cleats: Part 1 of 4 – Overview
Soccer Cleats: Part 2 of 4 – Fit
Soccer Cleats: Part 3 of 4 – Female Fit
Women’s Soccer Cleat Design
Commercially Available Cleats Specifically Designed for Women’s Feet
When Should I See a Podiatrist?
Soccer Cleats: Part 4 of 4 – Traction and Studs
