Chapter 1
The heavy metal era
Chapter 2
The postwar battle of the brothers
Chapter 3
Synthetics and the predator effect
Chapter 4
The modern space-age boot
Ch 1 · The heavy metal era
adidas Royal cordwainer Cornelius Johnson crafted studless, high-top Spanish leather boots to protect the king during violent Shrove Tuesday Tudor matches.
adidas Everyday industrial workwear functioned as the original soccer footwear for working-class players.
Quiz
Why did early football players wear heavy industrial work boots instead of athletic shoes?
Quiz
What safety feature of 19th-century industrial work boots made them dangerous during early football matches?
Fun Fact
Tudor soccer boots: King Henry VIII's custom 1526 leather boots are the oldest recorded soccer footwear in history.
Quiz
What latex-like tree sap substance was banned from football boot soles by the 1863 rule?
Quiz
Which organization banned projecting metal nails and iron plates from football boots in 1863?
Glossary
hobnail (noun)
A short, large-headed nail used to protect the soles of boots or shoes. In the late nineteenth century, British players hammered these metal fasteners into work boots for pitch traction.
A short, large-headed nail used to protect the soles of boots or shoes. In the late nineteenth century, British players hammered these metal fasteners into work boots for pitch traction.
adidas Traditional Leather Football Boots
Heavy leather boots drank the rain like a sponge, doubling their weight in the mud.
Quiz
What happened to the weight of 19th-century leather football boots during a rainy match?