Editor Carolyn Kent – Women’s Football Hub
Introduction
In this episode of the Women’s Football Hub podcast, I sat down with Dr Amanda Jagielo, a certified athletic trainer and newly graduated Doctor of Athletic Training from Florida International University. With extensive experience in elite women’s football, Amanda’s passion lies in research on footwear and injury prevention. Her recent scoping review asks a question that should matter to every player: Are women’s football boots really designed for women?
The Problem with Current Boot Design
Dr Jagielo’s lightbulb moment came while working with Orlando Pride in the NWSL. Three players suffered plantar fascia tears — a rare but serious injury. Many others dealt with Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. The common thread? Footwear.
“It became a gut feeling: can our cleats be better? Yes, they probably can.”
Amanda began to suspect that poor boot design was playing a role in performance and injury risk, especially in female players.
Inside the Scoping Review: Key Findings
Amanda’s review examined 235 articles, narrowing down to 23 studies focusing on bending stiffness, cleat design, injury prevention, and performance in female athletes. Here’s what she found:
- 👟 Stiffer boots reduce joint range of motion
- 🦶 Higher plantar pressures in cleats vs running shoes
- 🚺 Women have different foot shapes & biomechanics
- ⚠️ Bladed studs increase torque and potential ACL risk
Yet, despite these insights, most boots remain scaled-down versions of men’s designs, built around the shape of a Caucasian male foot.
“Women’s feet are different. But football boots haven’t caught up.”
Are We Wearing the Wrong Boots?
Amanda explains that players often accept discomfort as normal — a cultural norm in football. But she challenges this mindset:
- ❌ Cleats shouldn’t hurt
- 🔍 Fit, comfort and biomechanical support matter
- ⚖️ Female players face added tendon strain from poor shock absorption
Ida Sports is currently the only brand producing boots designed specifically for women, featuring wider toe boxes, narrower heels, and round studs to reduce injury risk.
Artificial Pitches, Customisation & Injury Risk
Dr Jagielo highlights that:
- 🌱 Artificial turf increases forefoot pressure
- ⚡ Players don’t rotate boots based on pitch conditions, even at elite level
- ⚙️ Stud configurations can increase torque — bladed studs may boost performance but raise injury risk
“Even at the pro level, players often wear the same cleats on very different surfaces.”
Can Cleats Cause ACL Injuries?
The million-pound question. Is there a proven link between boots and ACL injuries?
“My strong suspicion is yes. But research hasn’t caught up yet.”
Amanda argues that the focus on hips and core strength in ACL prevention has overshadowed a bottom-up approach. Footwear could be a missing link.
What Coaches & Players Can Do Now
Dr Jagielo offers practical advice:
- 👟 Don’t accept discomfort — test boots properly
- 🦶 Use gel inserts or orthotics to reduce pressure
- 🔁 Rotate footwear based on surface and load
- 🧼 Retire old boots – thin soles = poor shock absorption
“You get blisters? That’s not normal. That’s poor design.”
The Future of Football Footwear
Amanda’s vision is clear: more gender-specific research, smarter cleat design, and a greater focus on athlete safety over style. She’ll be presenting her findings at the Isokinetic Conference in Madrid, aiming to change the conversation around women’s footwear in football.
📢 Want to connect with Amanda? Follow her on LinkedIn or Twitter (@TheVeganAT).
🎧 Listen to the full episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite platform.
This blog post was created with assistance from OpenAI’s ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025)
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