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Original poster

Girls football boots

39 replies

Gro · 01/10/2023 19:38

DD has just started secondary school and they have been told they need football boots next week.

DD has long, narrow and shallow feet. Size 7/8 in trainers, school shoes are a 6.5.

All the football boots I can find are either mens, boys or unisex. They are massive on her even if they are the right length. Closest we got to a good fit was Adidas, they seemed narrower but still far to deep. Way more than could be fixed with an insole.

I am not going to spend a fortune on them because she isn't sporty and they won't get much wear. I am also not going to buy ill fitting boots because she might get injured (surely well fitted trainers are better?)

  1. aibu that requiring football boots for girls is silly
  2. Help! Any ideas where I can get these boots? I would prefer to go to a shop so we can try them on.
Thanks
OP posts:
avemariiiaa · 01/10/2023 19:58

Asking for football boots for girls isn't silly, plenty of girls enjoy and play football.

You need to visit various shops and try on different brands, fits and sizes, or ask school if trainers will suffice as you feel it is a waste of money for the little time they will be used.

PinkyDinkyDoodle · 01/10/2023 20:24

Your daughter may love football, or rugby, or hockey. It is difficult to find the right kit for girls but it is worth trying. Ask your local girls football and rugby team clubs what they recommend. Try on all the boots.

Too many girls are put off playing sport; being given poor-fitting kit, and hearing “it is silly buying boots for girls” will both reinforce the message that “this is not what you should be doing.”

I do think that schools should hold a stock of loan boots, though. Children also should not be put off playing because kit costs are too high. I have half a dozen pairs of outgrown boots here that I’d be happy to donate to a boot club at school.

Original poster
Gro · 01/10/2023 20:39

DD is autistic, hates teams, being outside, dirt and cold! However if she developed a love of a sport I would of course put the time and money into it.

I'm not saying boots for girls is silly I'm saying requiring them for school pe when they don't fit properly is silly.

Thank you for your suggestion of asking local clubs for ideas, I hadn't thought of this and will send some emails out this evening.

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Original poster
Gro · 01/10/2023 20:41

I have visited shops all weekend and I am absolutely stumped about what to do. I have put a note in her home-school diary saying she doesn't have any because I can't find any to fit. If she gets in trouble I will be cross.

OP posts:
KateyCuckoo · 01/10/2023 20:48

No you definitely said requiring girls to have football boots is silly Hmm

Hellocatshome · 01/10/2023 20:48

We always found Puma booys to be quite narrow fitting if that helps.

FusionChefGeoff · 01/10/2023 20:50

Forgive me if I'm wrong but until puberty I don't think girls have particularly different feet to boys?! I think it's more she happens to have unusually narrow feet?

gotomomo · 01/10/2023 20:59

My dd plays football and rugby, boots are widely available in women's sizes. She has these for football www.sportsdirect.com/puma-future-match3-womens-firm-ground-football-boots-190105#colcode=19010501. Rugby boots were special order

Original poster
Gro · 02/10/2023 08:04

KateyCuckoo · 01/10/2023 20:48

No you definitely said requiring girls to have football boots is silly Hmm

The first line of my post is about secondary school pe lessons. So obviously my question was to do with this circumstance. Sorry you didn't understand that.

OP posts:
Original poster
Gro · 02/10/2023 08:08

FusionChefGeoff · 01/10/2023 20:50

Forgive me if I'm wrong but until puberty I don't think girls have particularly different feet to boys?! I think it's more she happens to have unusually narrow feet?

No idea about puberty and feet but DD is 12, tall and an adult size 7/8 in trainers. So she is a young girl expected to wear and adult man's size shoe for pe.

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 02/10/2023 08:11

Do you know any parents in Yr8 or above? They were on DDs list last year, along with gum shield and shin pads... none have been used!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 02/10/2023 08:12

Basically yes she is expected to wear mens.

I looked everywhere for girls football and rugby boots. The sales assistants told me they are unisex. So basically mens.

I don’t want pink boots, but it seems ridiculous that you can’t buy womens sports shoes.

Wolvesart · 02/10/2023 08:13

Re football boots - keep trying as there will be some that fit. They must have changed the spec as all the boots were quite narrow when I was buying them. Assume you are trying them on with the sports socks

Original poster
Gro · 02/10/2023 08:14

Thanks for the puma suggestions. We found very few puma shoes in the shops over the weekend and certainly no women's ones the ones that we did find were the same as the others wide and deep.

Looks like we will have to go into the city after school this evening and see if we can track some down. Good to know it might be possible to find some.

OP posts:
TheYearOfSmallThings · 02/10/2023 08:18

So she is a young girl expected to wear and adult man's size shoe for pe.

She has the feet of an adult woman, and she can wear the boots an adult woman would wear. Lots of the girls in her year will have similar feet and boots.

OurfriendsintheNE · 02/10/2023 08:20

Football boots for girls OBVIOUSLY isn’t silly. But it is silly expecting all kids to have a pair of football boots for a few sessions of football in PE. Trainers will be perfectly adequate for that so just get her some comfy well fitting ones that she can wear for all PE.

Original poster
Gro · 02/10/2023 08:21

DobbyTheHouseElk · 02/10/2023 08:12

Basically yes she is expected to wear mens.

I looked everywhere for girls football and rugby boots. The sales assistants told me they are unisex. So basically mens.

I don’t want pink boots, but it seems ridiculous that you can’t buy womens sports shoes.

It is totally ridiculous. Hopefully the note in her diary will suffice.

OP posts:
SellFridges · 02/10/2023 08:22

Requiring football boots for girls is not silly.

It’s very unusual to find boots specifically for women. If you pay attention to the news over the last six months you would know this as it has been covered in depth. From memory, Nike recently launched some with a circular stud pattern designed to support women better. However, they would not be in your price point. Nike generally are narrow though, especially those with the sock at the top.

Even if women’s boots did exist though, I doubt you’d be finding many in a size 8. Unfortunately that would be the very top end of standard sizing I would guess.

If your DD needs them for a short time in PE I would just buy the cheapest in her size. Make sure she is trying them with football socks and shin pads as that also makes a difference.

Original poster
Gro · 02/10/2023 08:23

TheYearOfSmallThings · 02/10/2023 08:18

So she is a young girl expected to wear and adult man's size shoe for pe.

She has the feet of an adult woman, and she can wear the boots an adult woman would wear. Lots of the girls in her year will have similar feet and boots.

The issue is they don't make boots for women! There may be a few pairs but I have looked all weekend and the best I found was 'unisex' which are also too wide.

OP posts:
KateyCuckoo · 02/10/2023 08:23

You're just being difficult and dramatic because your daughter doesn't enjoy PE. It's like a parent of a child who doesn't like maths saying 'Aibu to think buying girls a scientific calculator is silly?'.

Plenty of girls play football and wear football boots. I even have a second hand pair of my daughter's on marketplace right now. She's 13 though her feet are not as large as your daughter's so they wouldn't fit.

LittleMonks11 · 02/10/2023 08:30

My DD 12 is now in a 7.5 football boot.

Went I went into Sports Direct recently I facetiously asked where the women's football section was. When he said they didn't have one, I said you should.

She wears Adidas we but get a discount with them. She plays 3x a week and matches in a league on Sundays though so worth the splash.

Look on local Facebook for second hand. I do have her old size 7 ones to sell but pretty certain you won't be local to me.

LittleMonks11 · 02/10/2023 08:30

Adidas has a women's section.

KeepTheTempo · 02/10/2023 08:33

It is ridiculous, agree. Decathlon boots are cheap and come up very narrow in smaller sizes, could be worth it. Once you're into the bigger ones, still hard.

PuttingDownRoots · 02/10/2023 08:36

LittleMonks11 · 02/10/2023 08:30

My DD 12 is now in a 7.5 football boot.

Went I went into Sports Direct recently I facetiously asked where the women's football section was. When he said they didn't have one, I said you should.

She wears Adidas we but get a discount with them. She plays 3x a week and matches in a league on Sundays though so worth the splash.

Look on local Facebook for second hand. I do have her old size 7 ones to sell but pretty certain you won't be local to me.

Tbh Sports Direct are terrible for girls and women... lots of "stuff" but mostly fashion stuff not actual sports equipment.

Narrower football boots shouldn't be too much of an ask!

ouch44 · 02/10/2023 08:37

OP, I'd be surprised if school were bothered about trainers rather than football boots. My DS who hated football at school just wore trainers if forced to play.

Interestingly, there was bother article in The Times the other day about womens boots and injuries. Nike and Under Armour make a boot designed for women which both seem marketed as unisex! Didn't know this when buying my DD who plays for a team last pair of boots. Under armour seems normal price at £60 ish.