The secret world of football boots

Editor’s Note: This story is included in The Athletic’s Best of 2023. “Some players just prefer the feel of the firm ground soleplate, which is lighter and more flexible,” says Tootle, who reconfigured Kyle Walker’s Puma boots a few years ago for that reason. There’s that story of Wayne Rooney telling the Manchester United kitman before the Chelsea game to put all of them in his boots and then he injured John Terry badly.” Terry’s own relationship with football boots is worth revisiting, bearing in mind he wore three new pairs for every game — one for the warm-up, one for the first half, and another for the second — “and never wore them again”. “That’s what he was wearing them like in the Premier League.” Sam Perrin lifts a pair of black Nike boots off peg No 18 at the Wolves training ground. “Anyway, he tried these and said they’re absolutely brilliant, wore them all through the rest of the pre-season, including a game in Dublin.” Sadly, Kalajdzic was not wearing the cheapest boots in the Premier League when he scored those two goals in the space of four days last month: the Nike Phantoms are now only being held onto for sentimental reasons.