Women’s soccer cleats

Written by Soccer Garage

Today, women’s soccer cleats are way more different than their male counterparts. In the early 80’s and 90’s, as women’s participation in sports grew, the response from shoemakers was to make more feminine versions of the men’s shoes. The result was smaller cleats that were made in pink and other feminine color schemes. Due to the differences between men and women’s feet, this made for some very uncomfortable shoes and possibly even injuries.

The first real women’s soccer shoe was made by Adidas in 1995. This shoe lacked any real innovation. Fortunately, this was followed up the Nike Air Zoon M9, the first pair cleats every designed specifically for female feet. Superstar soccer player Mia Hamm was instrumental in its design.

The biggest different between men and women’s feet is anatomical. In addition to tapering more towards the heel, women’s feet are slimmer and with narrower heels. They also tend to have higher and longer arches. This affects the shape of the shoe. In addition, due to wider hips, women require additional support in the midsole area.

This is where the differences end. Most other soccer gear is not very different from men to women. Only a women’s soccer jersey is different as it contours more to the shape of a women’s upper body. This has come about recently with most athletic gear designed to fit closer to the body to take advantage of the advanced wicking fabrics in use.

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Get the best women’s soccer equipment from Soccer Garage.