Soft football shoes can damage feet

Jun 5, 2006, 3:22 GMT

Freiburg, Germany -- ­ Soft football shoes can pose a risk to people who play the sport in their free time.

A soft shoe puts strain on the body's entire skeleton, according to Professor Albert Gollhofer, director of the Institute for Sport at the University of Freiburg in southwest Germany.

That can lead to exhaustion and an increased risk of injury including torn ligaments, irregular bone usage and even fractures.

Gollhofer says that every time a player kicks the ball they are using the foot's entire muscle system.

If the instep is not sufficiently protected by the shoe, it could be put under tremendous strain. In the worst-case scenario the instep could even break.

To prevent injuries like that, the sole of the football shoe should be sufficiently inflexible and be able to guarantee the problem-free transmission of force from the rear to the front of the foot.

Gollhofer also says the upper shoe should not be too soft. 'That puts too high a demand on the body's muscular system,' he says.

Gollhofer advises against using a shoe that fits 'like a sock' even though they are they preferred by players as they are light and comfortable.