I’m sure you’ve been there at one point in your life. You are sat at home watching a match, and all you see is a colourful plethora of bright fluorescent boots worn by pretty much every player. Now, there’s of course nothing wrong with that, but for those of us who remember the good ol’ days, it makes us wonder what ever happened to the classic black football boots that seem so, so rare now.

We are no Gok Wans of the boot world, but surely in the future, the plain black boots will come back into style for however long a period, be it genuinely or most-probably ironically. So if/when they do, here’s a few reasons why you should jump on the hyped bandwagon.

1. Easy to clean

The most blatant reason and advantage in getting black boots is that they’re much easier to clean. Actually, maybe that’s not right. It may be that if you don’t know how to properly clean your boots, they are less noticeably dirty. White football boots, for instance, are blank canvasses inviting any and every other colour to litter its exterior. In many teams across the country now, dirty boots equals a fine within the changing room. Therefore, purchasing black boots will mean no more fines… Genius!

2. No pressure

Let’s be honest, if you turn up to a match in brand new green Adidas Ace 16 PureControls, your teammates will expect… Your opponents will expect… The nation will expect! Expect what? Glory, footballing ability of epic proportions, God-like powers with the ball at your feet. If you are a decent player then fair enough, but if you fail with a stepover or play a five-yard pass out of play, you’re going to be the tit in sparkly new boots who cannot play football for a packet of biscuits. So why not let everyone underestimate you as the muppet in black boots? The worst you can do is prove them right… But the potential for legendary status is great.

3. Respect

Initial thoughts may not be that you are good on the ball. However, if the opponents see you rocking black football boots, they know (or at least think) that you are not one to mess with. As the colour revolution took football over around the mid-2000s, centre-backs were the last ones to cave and succumb to the new social normality. This has given black boots, the plainer the better, a tough-man legacy, and connotations of being solid, brutal and fierce. They may not think you’re going to bang in a hat-trick any time soon, but you will be feared and respected.

4. Nostalgia

Why not take yourself back to a simpler time? A time when football was respected and enjoyed my many. A time when England didn’t crash out of major tournaments to nations with no professional league that are managed by a dentist *wipes away tears from cheek*. Every footballer born before 1997ish surely owned one time in their lives a black pair of football boots, and football back then wasn’t poisoned with diving and tackling restrictions to prevent overpaid buttercups getting a booboo. Reminisce with a traditional pair of black football boots to forget some of the treacheries of modern football.

5. Robust

They may not have all the technology that football boots have nowadays, but they certainly do still have their advantages. The old black boots were fairly plain and simple, which tailored to defenders more. But without the need to adhere to all this technology in the boot, they were free to use whatever material they liked. Therefore, they obviously chose the strongest and most durable. Some of the weaker-made boots today will barely last a season, but the old black football boots will sort you out long-term.

Be the first to buck the trend of bright boots, and get black football boots back in the game!