Football Players And Their Weird Football Shoe Habits

In the exciting football world, where skill, strategy, and athleticism come together, players often develop unique habits and rituals that they believe supports their game. Football shoes, more than just a necessity, become talismans, are becoming part of a ritual, or are becoming customized by footballers themselves so they can perform as good as possible. Let’s take a look at some of the weirdest football shoe habits! 

Cutting holes in football shoes
You may have notices that more and more football players are starting to cut holes in their football shoes. Players like Coutinho, Hummels, Firmino and De Rossi have raised a few eyebrows in the audience with this weird habit. However, this practise is not a matter of superstition but of pure practical use. Cutting out a piece of the backheel of the shoe reduces the tightness of the shoe. Football players often suffer from the ‘Haglund’s heel’, a deformed heel which causes a lot of annoyance around that area of the foot, especially since that part of the shoe is often made of hard plastic to stabilize the foot. Check the website from Sports Injury Clinic for more information on the Haglund's heel and how to treat it. Cutting out the backside of the shoe allows for more breathing space, blood circulation and may therefore be more comfortable.

Toni Kroos and his Adidas Adipur 11’s
Did you know that Toni Kroos, midfielder from Real Madrid, has been wearing the same model of shoes for 10 years? Adidas released the Adipur 11’s in 2013 and although they are not being manufactured anymore, Kroos refuses to switch to another slicker pair with different colours and features, that is why Adidas made an exception for him. Next to that, the German refuses to let the kitman clean his boots, but he insists on doing it himself. It definitely worked in his favour as he won a World Cup, 5 champions league titles, and 6 national championships wearing these shoes. To honour Kroos and his loyalty to the Adidas shoe model, Adidas released an ultra limited edition of a Adipure 11Pro 2 'TK' shoes model earlier this year in October.

Gavi and his unlaced football shoes.
Barcelona midfielder Gavi always plays with his football shoes untied. At the start of every game, the young football player is seen with his laces tied up, but during the game they loosen up. There are multiple reasons for this; Gavi does not tie his laces because he doesn’t know how to do it properly. He has been playing without tying his laces since a very young age and is therefore used to it. Eventhough his teammates regularly make fun of him, he is not putting effort into learning to tie his shoe. Why would he? He is one of the biggest talents in the football world, won the Kopa Trophy and one national championship at the age of only 19. Next to that, rumour has it that his Puma shoes are too uncomfortable and therefore Gavi unlaces his shoe on purpose to give his feet more room to breath.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is known for being quite a superstitious football players, also when it comes to football boots. Max Blau, the global vice-president for Nike Football Footwear, revealed that the Portuguese football star refuses to wear a pair of football shoes if they are coloured black. Cristiano is aware of the fact that certain colours release chemicals in one’s brain that influences performance on the field. Ronaldo does not want to wear black football shoes as he thinks they look slow, but he wants to feel fast. ‘Feel good, play good’ seems like a relevant saying for the winger playing for Al-Nassr. Next to this, Cristiano Ronaldo is seen as the inventor of the ‘hot-water’ trick. Soaking your new football shoes (while wearing them) in hot water is believed to increase comfort for your feet. The hot water causes the shoes to conform perfectly to the shape of your feet and stay that way afterwards.