I have been thinking(ooh ooh) why are there no mid soccer cleats. Shouldn't there function of keeping the ankles safe be desired. I saw some rugby cleats that looked good and I saw some football cleats that did not look so good. High top soccer cleats must be out of the question but i can picture myself in some white mids. I played in various shoes and my touch oddly seems better with them than regular soccer shoes. should we experiment and buy some mid rugby cleats?
no, if you're worried about your ankle get one of those padded things that attaches to the shinguards. you'd look about as silly as those women who wore the babybuggybumper helmets at the WWC with hightop cleats. Do rugby cleats have the stud on the very tip?
In the early part of the 1900's up through the early 50's many pairs of football boots were just that high top boots with the heel knocked off and studs added to the bottom, that is where the name "boots" comes from becasue at one time they really were boots. People started cutting the higher part of the shoe off or folding it down so it didn't get int eh way and it also gave their ankles more range of motion, once sports shoes became more mass produced they stopped with the high top boots for the most part since they were clunky not well suited for football. Over the years a few shoe makers still produced mid top and high top soccer shoes I know Le Coq Sportif(sp) (they made Senagals kit for this world cup and the Argies kits in 86) had a few pairs a couple of years ago with a high top fit around the ankle and then a cut out where the ankle bone was to reduce weight, these boots didnt sell too well but if you look hard enough you may still be able to find them. Diadora also had a mid-top boot in 96-97 called the Supergoal DAP(dynamic ankle protection) which was made for Marco Van Basten who had very bad ankles and was forced to retire later that year, but the boot was just the regular Supergoal on the market except it had a sockliner that came up and over the ankle with disks to protect teh ankle bone much like the ankle guards you can buy now but this went over your sock and was part of the boot the sockliner was made out of a wet suit type fabric so it would offer full range of motion but also add a stable base and protection for the ankle; I knew a few people who bought the boot because it had a big fold over tounge that the regular supergoal didnt have and they cut out the DAP liner becasue it "felt messed up". I would stay away from rugby boots becasue they are heavy and they would take a beating with the massive amount of touches you would have on them witha ball in a match.
I had always thought that the mid or high-top shoes were no good for soccer because they decreased the flexibility in your foot/ankle, which in turn reduced your touch on the ball. At several points (in both HS and college), I regularly had one or both ankles taped by the team trainer, and my touch was never as good as it was with untaped ankles (at least until the stiffness in the tape broke down).
this came up on one of the coaching sites I am a member of a few years ago. It didn't interst me, but I do remember you can get them some place. I can't remember where. In Europe or maybe newBalance keeps comming into my head, but I can't say for sure. I see if I remember more tonight when I get home, and are relaxed. Richie