Let’s be honest, football boots aren’t the most convenient or versatile footwear choice. Studded boots are pretty much reserved for playing football on grass and fancy dress parties. Football boots without studs offer a wider range of use, but even so, the way they are made limits their use to a certain amount of sports. But what about the summer game we all love; tennis? Can football boots be worn for tennis? Can tennis shoes be worn for football? We’ve got the answers!
What are the differences between football boots and tennis shoes?
Can you wear football boots for tennis?
Football boots and tennis shoes are different for one fundamental reason. Tennis shoes are made to support and enhance lateral support, whereas football boots tend to be tailored towards enhancing specific aspects of when the foot comes into contact with the ball. On a football pitch, movement is often simply just running. Many short and sharp turns are involved, but in comparison with tennis, they are far less severe and frequent.
Tennis shoes put a lot of emphasis on the sole, and rightly so. Once the sole has been worn down, the efficiency of the traction that the shoe gives is significantly reduced, rendering them useless. Football boots obviously don’t have that problem, with studs preventing the sole from coming into significant contact with the ground with SG boots. And with alternative and less strenuous movements, it will take a while for the soleplate to wear away with FG boots.
To enhance comfort, cushioning and durability, tennis shoes are often a lot heavier than most football boots nowadays. Clearly, making them as light as possible is important to enable a player to move efficiently, but it does not come at the expense of the aforementioned.
Football boots, on the other hand, are often lightweight but less robust. They have more specified features, whereas tennis shoes are more generic.
Can you wear football boots for tennis?
Andy Murray plays in Wimbledon 2016 Tennis Championships
We think it goes without saying that you shouldn’t wear studded SG football boots for playing tennis. FG boots, however, might be appropriate depending on what you are wearing the boots for. If you’re simply indulging in a friendly game of tennis with mates then, of course, FG boots will be sufficient. However, if you play tennis at an elite level, then you will definitely want a pair of shoes specifically tailored towards tennis.
Similarly, tennis shoes cannot really be worn for any type of football and we certainly wouldn’t recommend doing so. The dynamics and weight of them make it very difficult and impractical.
