It’s all about easy entry and a wide and comfortable fit for flat feet.
Last updated on 31 August 2023 to reflect latest releases and reviews.
Running shoes are full of options for various conditions that affect your running gait. From over/under-pronation to flat feet, runners are spoilt for choice when it comes to taking care of their different physiological needs.
Football boots, however, are much simpler. They often have a flat sole which doesn’t provide much support for your feet and different running gaits. Further more, with the now common in-built “sock” construction, it’s much harder to put on football boots due to a smaller mouth opening for your feet. For a flat footed player, both of these factors can be an issue.
We connected with physio, Reggie Tang, who shares his thoughts on boot solutions for players with flat feet.
Playing football with flat feet
“People with flat feet have little to no arch on the underside of their feet. As a result, the base of the foot tends to be much wider as your feet spreads out when placing weight on it. This means that the length and width of flat feet will feel different when standing vs when you’re sitting and trying on your football boots. Make sure your football boot can support the width and length when you’re standing,” says Reggie.
“Having space, especially for your big toe, is so important as your big toe supports your body weight and impact. If you’re having a boot that’s too narrow, this forces your toe to be angulated, creating bunions. This changes the angles of your biomechanical movements and may cause strains and injuries to parts of your body.
To find the right football boots for flat feet, Reggie recommends choosing your footwear based on these features.
- A wider boot with ample toe room
- A wider mouth opening for ease of foot entry. Choose football boots with a classic tongue construction instead of one-piece uppers.
- A soleplate that alleviates stud pressure. The less pressure, the better. Go with an astro turf sole if possible.
Low arch insole for flat feet
If you’ve already got a football boot that works very well for you, perhaps you’d like to give an insole a try to add some curvature and support. Our choice would be the Currex CleatPro Insoles for low arches. Currex also produces insoles for medium and high arches if you know a friend who needs similar support respectively.
Currex CleatPro Insole
Soccer.com
However, Reggie notes that replacement insoles may come with drawbacks too.
“Your stock insoles are pretty thin and whatever new insoles you bring in to provide support are most likely going to be thicker in mass. This means a reduced volume and space for your feet and you might end up crunching your toes – affecting your biomechanical movements and may cause discomfort or even worse, injury.”
Low pressure for flat feet – Astro Turf soles
Easy on the sole
Astro turf football boots
Multiple stores
With football being an intense game with quick sharp movements, your feet do get a battering especially if you lack an arch that could alleviate some of that weight and pressure.
For flat footed players who constantly face soreness and stud pressure, especially when playing on hard and shallow artificial ground, go with the most comfortable option available – turf shoes. They’re a bit more padded and feature many small studs across the base which spreads out the pressure.
ASICS X-Fly Pro 2
Japan's finest
ASICS X-Fly Pro 2
Multiple stores
It’s not very often that ASICS makes this list but the Japanese running shoe makers have impressed us with the ASICS X-Fly Pro 2. Made with a mix of soft kangaroo leather for the forefoot and a synthetic midfoot, this speed boot is not only light for a leather boot (205g in a US 9) but also absolutely comfortable with great lockdown.
The tongue construction makes it easy to open the mouth of the boot for flat footed players to slip their feet in. And the ASICS X-Fly Pro 2 is wide enough to accommodate your feet when you start making your first steps in them.
Adler Yatagarashu
Sublime modern leather boot
Adler Yatagarashu
Direct
A boot that doesn’t have the profile of its peers but is one of the best leather boots in the market, the Adler is must-buy for leather boot aficionados. An uber thin leather upper, lightweight with a springy soleplate, this is a modern football boot that just feels so impressive with each wear.
Further more, it fits wider footed players and putting on a pair of Adlers is a breeze with its tongue construction. Lockdown is also fantastic as the zig zag lace loop placements help secure your feet tightly with a simple tug on the laces.
Mizuno Morelia 2 Japan
If you crave top notch craftsmanship and supreme leather quality, look no further than the Mizuno brand with their “Made in Japan” line. Handcrafted and built for an accommodating fit, Mizuno also tends to produce boots on the wider side. This is because their boots are produced with the Japanese market in mind – most of whom have wider feet. Our pick has to be the Mizuno Morelia 2 Japan for it’s quality and durability while the tongue construction and wide fit make it a perfect choice for those with flat feet.
Leather craftsmanship
Mizuno Morelia II Made In Japan FG
Prodirect Soccer
£270.00
With most football pitches in Japan being “hard ground“, the Morelia 2 Japan’s studs are mostly short and conical-shaped to reduce stud pressure with a decent amount of traction on fields.
That said, the “Japan” series can cost a pretty penny. If budget is a concern, you can always look towards the Elite and Pro models for quality that is still very good while saving some dough in the process.
Nike Premier 3.0 and adidas Copa Gloro
Among the most affordable football boots available are the Nike Premier 3.0 and the adidas Copa Gloro – a throwback to boots of yesterday with a multitude of modern colourways that won’t look out of style today.
Modern classic
Nike Premier III FG
Multiple stores
Strapping design
adidas Copa Gloro
Prodirect Soccer
£60.00£85.00Save: £25.00
Each of them features an accommodating fit, a traditional tongue design. For those who don’t like their classic tongue, the Nike Premier 3.0 comes with a cutting guide on the underside of the tongue for you to cut along the tongue’s lines.
A side note on the Nike Premier, they carry the shortest studs on any FG soleplates in the market. The soleplate’s also highly flexible for a natural flex to provide a comfortable ride for the flat-footed player.
They’re both cheap, easy to put on and very comfortable – a no brainer in my opinion.
adidas Copa Mundial
Moving on from boots inspired by the old school to a boot that is literally from the 1970s. The adidas Copa Mundial is timeless classic and adidas has hardly changed a thing from their heritage boot.
Literally old school
adidas Copa Mundial
Multiple stores
The Copa Mundial cuts really wide and long so I’ve had to go a full size down in them and even so, I believe I could go a further half size down. The boot also comes with a classic tongue that helps stretch open the mouth of the boot for easy entry. The boot’s so old school that they come unlaced so you can customise the fit across your feet too.
And if all those features still aren’t good enough for your flat feet, the short FG studs ensures that stud pressure is almost non-existent even on shallower AG pitchers.
Reginald (Reggie) Tang has over 14 years of experience as a physiotherapist and is also the physio for the Singapore National Rugby Team. You can visit Reggie and his team of physios at Physio Solutions for all your physio and fitness consultation needs.
