New boots to extend football careers

The boot has "springy" studs which act like a car's suspension system

A new kind of boot with built-in stud suspension could extend the careers of footballers and other players, it has been claimed.

The boot, designed by a company in Cambridge, has "springy" studs which act like a car's suspension system.

The studs press into the boot on flexible plates, absorbing energy and reducing pressure on the foot at that point, New Scientist magazine reported.

In conventional six-studded boots, the stud pattern focuses pressure on particular areas of the sole of the foot. Some of the pressure points coincide with the position of key joints.

Mark Lake, an expert in footwear biomechanics at John Moores University in Liverpool and an advisor to the Football Association, who has tested the boot, said: "Many professional footballers have foot pain in areas where studs are located, like under the big toe and under the ball of the foot."

There's now very little cushioning between the studs and your feet

Matthew White, a consultant with Generics Group

After a while, the repetitive trauma can cause joints to lose mobility, potentially cutting short a player's career.

Development of the boot at the technology company Generics Group in Cambridge was partly fuelled by the sportswear industry's drive to make footwear lighter.

This is largely being achieved by making the soles thinner.

Matthew White, a consultant with Generics Group, said: "There's now very little cushioning between the studs and your feet."

The spring-loaded stud design was invented by a former Generics employee.

It uses a plastic stud bonded to a pressed steel spring plate.

The boot could extend the careers of professional footballers

Any force on the stud causes the plate to flex into the boot.

At the same time, the ends of the plate bend downwards, bringing secondary studs into contact with the ground.

This provides extra grip and helps to spread the load.

The whole mechanism is encased in a strong plastic to prevent it clogging with mud.

Tests showed that the studs reduced pressure on parts of the sole by up to 30% when used on slightly hard soil surfaces.

Boots with metal springs inside the studs have been tried in the past, but mud quickly stopped them working.

Generics is now talking to potential manufacturers.