The debate surrounding lightweight football boots and their connection to metatarsal injuries has flared up again in the worst manner possible as QPR boss Neil Warnock brands them ‘Stupid’, following an injury to DJ Campbell.
The former Blackpool hitman was sidelined from the Hoops’ 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers after suffering a suspected broken metatarsal in training on Thursday.
Queens Park Rangers’ outspoken manager commented on Campbell’s absence after the game, “It looks he has got a metatarsal problem so he could be out for a few weeks. I think it will probably be longer than four weeks and he might have to have an operation. We’ll know Monday. ”
Warnock then went on to criticise Campbell’s choice of footwear, “I think it is these stupid boots, they’re like carpet slippers.”
The former Sheffield United boss, who himself used to be a pacey winger in his playing days, went on to further slam modern, lightweight football boots in his post-match interview,
“Don’t talk to me about these boots. You can’t ban people if they prefer it, but I think they are absolutely stupid boots to wear at the level we’re talking about. They give you no support at all, but that’s football.”
Warnock wouldn’t be the first top-flight manager to criticise sub-200g football boots like the adidas F50 adiZero for injuries to the delicate metatarsal, as top gaffers like David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson have often pinned the blame on them for injuries in the past few years.
Interestingly, DJ Campbell has only recently switched football boots; playing most of last season in the CTR360, but changing to the adiZero early on this season. Even more peculiar, the London-born striker has played his last few games in the adiZero RS7 – the rugby version of the adiZero – which, in theory, offer more support than their footballing counterparts.
DJ Campbell joins the long list of English players to have suffered a metatarsal injury, including:
Danny Murphy ” adidas Predator (Mania)
David Beckham ” adidas Predator (Mania)
Gary Neville ” adidas Predator (Mania)
Steven Gerrard ” adidas Predator (Pulse)
Emile Heskey – Nike Air Tiempo
Scott Parker ” Joma Imperial
Michael Owen ” Umbro X-Boot
Wayne Rooney ” Nike Total 90 Laser
Ashley Cole ” Nike CTR360 Maestri
Where do you stand on the lightweight football boots debate? Are they a health risk? Let us know in the comments!
They are sh*tty, i mean come on if you gonna have a lightweight boot it cant have the same support when shaved down. I have the F50 leather version and you dont feel any support at the heel section, its shit, no wonder Messi got his heel totally custom and more “rigid”.
Ive worn Copas for like 15 years and i thought i will try something new and got me a pair of F50s. Im now switching to Superflys now, the feel alot more stable.
A lot of these light weight speed boots don’t offer great support & you do feel your feet moving in them. I can imagine its 10 times worse when your playing at that level were it is 100 mph in a game & the tackles are harder
Exactly the feet is moving inside your boot when doing fast movements and such, and also when shooting, the foot that your not shooting with is moving in the boot.
Well, one is taking a certain risk. Sometimes the reward is big, sometimes, if you break the metatarsal, it’s not. Everyone, especially pros, know what they’re getting into, though.
I tried the F50 and am back to the Predator, the adipower this time, and will stick with the Preds for the rest of my career.
Sorry but if your foot is moving in the boots then you have the wrong size.
No i dont, i even have them half size down. They do not simply offer the support i want around the heel section. I think they are too soft around there.
The new generation of super-lightweight boots are a problem, but at the same time players have always broken bones in their feet. The only difference has been that until Becham broke his and the media circus arrived to go into the detail, it was always just reported as ‘a broken foot’. Best boots I ever owner were Adidas World Cups, and I always played as a winger
he was actually wearing the mercurials in training when he got the injury
sorry but thats a load of rubbish! i doubt adidas and nike are just making light boots for the sack of it, its cause the pro’s WANT light boots.
also i am a winger who has always played in light boots, vapors, f50s, V1.08 and i play in the scottish amatur sunday league so you can imagin the amount i get kick and i have never broke anything (touch wood).
people always look for somthing to blame and the boots are the first thing. light boots arent the problem.
I think this is why Nike decided to not make boots as light as the F50s. The Superfly’s and Vapors are light enough but offer a lot more protection and all of the sudden the Flywire makes sense (more lateral support).
If that was true then Nike wouldn’t drop flywire and the next Vapor wouldn’t weight 185gr
i think nike just can’t make boots as light as adidas. if they cared so much they wouldn’t have created this lightweight obsession with the vapor & superfly
Paul is right. Nike could have created a lighter boot if they desired but there is such a thing as too light. For instance when Nike released the T90 IV they stated they wanted the right balance so they didn’t focus on making it lightweight but a balanced boot. Simply saying Nike can’t make a lighter boot is wrong, may I remind you of the vapor IV vs the Tunit? The Tunit was like 10.7 oz not to mention Nike had lighter boots until Adidas released the adizero in regards to speed boots. Nike made the weight drop by changing the stud shape and supposedly a thinner layer but nothing concrete at the moment.
These lightwight boots are a joke and if you really think that a couple oz are going to make a difference in your performance and outweigh the benefits of more supported boots, then you are a clown and deserve to have metatarsal injuries. Don’t give me this “pro’s are requesting these light weight boots” nonsense. They are just getting payed. If you were being given millions of dollars to wear pink crocs to play in you would do it in an instant with a big moronic smile too.Â
Have some sense pple. These shoe companies are using less material for every particular pair of boot, using crappier materials to make these disposable toy boots, and raising their prices exponentially!! Instead of focusing on quality they are just focusing on quantity…in other words ADVERTISING!!!!. Does anybody remember when boots used to be able to last more than one season? When the older they got the more comfortable they became? External here Counters anybody? What about when they used to sew and rivet the soles on the boots instead of just glue a plastic piece of….anyway wake up pple.
I got some Metasox recently. I got studded on in training on the one day that I wasn’t wearing them, now my foot is bruised…
Zpukz sorry pal your wrong! Ronaldo With the biggest boot deal doesnt wear what nike ask him to ( the sense stud thing) neither does drogba! Thats two huge players who dont do what there told! And several pros such as cambelle and anelka have changed into these ‘joke’ boots! And there not sponsored by adidas.
@Mr-E14 You prove my point exactly. Why do they modify them? Because they don’t like the boot, but they got to stick it out cause they got a CONTRACTt. Messi adds a re-inforcement layer to his boots, internal heel counter etc. Point is the boots they sell YOU are undesirable to them. THEY at least are getting PAYED though. Do you think a professional athlete that’s been playing since 8 years old, who grew up in great shoes like the Copa Mundials, original Nike Tiempo & Legends, LaserT90’s, or Umbro Speciali’s doesn’t see a difference between these legendary boots and these toy boots now? You think they never wish they could change brands or go with vintage heritage shoes once in a contract? Please, some pro’s have gotten into breach of contract over their desire to just change boot silos…or get PAYED more.. What do we get payed? Zilch! Â
Ironically he’s wearing Copa’s…
As great as they are/ were, boots today give way better support.
What about the cleat or stud? I believe that players wearing elongated metal studs are more of the problem than the difference between a few grams or ounces here and there. Ive played for many many years, and honestly the safest most comfortable shoe which does not inflict damage from a careless challenge or a quick cut is the Adidas Mundial Team Turf. Anyone who believes that a 300 $ shoe is going to make them play better is a victim of marketing. Or shall we say “Don’t believe the hype!”