Rugby is one of those sports where you don’t need a lot of equipment, with rugby boots being one of the main requirements. Boots are essential for a number of reasons, offering protection, support and comfort (to name a few). Therefore, it is highly important that each year when you buy new pairs of Rugby boots, you take the time to find the best option for your requirements and to consider what you need out of your boots. You don’t want to just be buying a boot because you like the brand or the way they look. You need them to fulfil a purpose, as they will make a difference to your game and performance.
Advances in footwear technology and manufacture have meant that the rugby boot is evolving. When buying a boot, we have lots of factors to think about. Of course, we are all instantly drawn to factors around aesthetic and whether they look good; the design, the material and colour, but we need to think beyond this. Questions to ask yourself include:
- Are they the best boots for your position?
- Do they work for the current ground type?
- What material are they made of?
- How heavy are they?
- Are they durable?
A great place to start is by looking at what ground type they are designed for and the stud configurations. This will tell you whether they suit your position and playing style.
Soft Ground (SG) Boots
Soft Ground boots are designed for wet and soft fields when the ground has much less grip. These boots normally come with changeable studs, allowing you to increase stud length from 12 -19mm depending on the weather and field conditions. There are many configurations for this stud type, but the two most common are the six-stud design and the eight-stud design.
Six-stud design
Usually designed with four studs at the forefront and two in heel, these boots are great for backs. In simple terms, less studs will reduce the weight of the boot. A lighter boot will allow for much more effective sprinting and reactivity off the ground due to having less pressure points and weight, ultimately maximising agility.
The Canterbury Speed 2.20 SG Rugby boots are a perfect example. These lightweight rugby boots are designed for fast paced backs looking to optimise their pace across the pitch. They aid speed and quick direction changes, whilst the minimalist black and white colour way will look good against any team kit.
Eight-stud design
An Eight-stud boot is designed with six studs on the forefront and two studs on the heel. Although the additional studs add weight, grip and traction so will slow you down, these factors are crucial when pushing in the scrum. Therefore, this type of boot is ideal for those who play as forwards.
We would recommend looking at the traditional Asics Lethal Warno ST 2 Rugby Boots an 8 stud outsole with additional moulded cleats for extra traction. A great additional feature of these boot is a removable insock, allowing for the accommodation of a medical orthotic to enhance biomechanics. This is a useful feature as many sports players are often referred to a biomechanist/orthotist to help enhance an individual’s biomechanics and also as a means to injury prevention.
Alternatively go for a bolder design with the 8 screw stud Puma One Rugby 1 H8 Boots in black and red. Crafted with comfort as the main focus, the knitted sock creates a supportive and snug fit around the ankle. This combined with the 8-stud sole creates excellent traction and grip; ideal in the scrum.
Firm Ground (FG) Boots
Firm Ground boots are designed for firm surfaces and usually have ten to fourteen studs on the outsole – this greater number of studs will allow for better grip. You may wonder how these boots differ from a soft ground boot with a high number of studs. The main reason being that these boots have shorts studs which are much more efficient at penetrating and reacting off the firm compacted surface, than the longer stud traditionally used in the soft ground boot. These are considered to be your all-round boot, being more suitable for a wider range of playing surfaces.
The Adidas Copa 20.0 FG Football boots in black are the ideal firm ground boot. The stylish triple black upper with PrimeMesh collar for comfort and a sock like fit combined with the outsole which is comprised of two TPU injected layers stabilise movement and enhance traction. Another alternative would be the Adidas Malice FG ruby boots in black and red. The asymmetrical lacing makes these boots ideal for a kicker and the lacing formation creates a larger contact area for improved kicking accuracy.
Choosing the right boots for you is an important decision which will affect the outcome of your game play. When choosing your boots don’t forget that we always recommend that you prioritise choosing boots designed specifically for your playing position; what ground surface do you require and how many studs do you need for your position. From there you can pick based on fashion and aesthetic.
Remember you need to prioritise function over form!