It isn’t just for speedsters

If you’ve ever looked at a boot collectors Insta who collects matchworn boots, you’ll have no doubt come across some player’s boots that have carbon fibre either as part of the midsole, attached to the insole or used as an insert. In the past, several brands such as Nike and Mizuno used carbon fibre in the soleplate as a means to increase springback. Another wide use for carbon fibre is for shin pads since it allows them to be strong and light. There have been many players who have even worn carbon fibre face masks. Despite this, springback and lightweight aren’t really the reasons why a lot of pros use carbon fibre in their boots.

While I am sure that some players still might like having carbon fibre as a means to provide springback, the last few Vapors, as well as several other boots, have shown that you don’t always need carbon fibre to have that kind of performance. It is worth noting that Nike’s new Vaporfly running shoes do have carbon fibre in them. But in order to figure out why so many pros use carbon fibre insoles, we actually can look outside of football for proof of this. There are more than a few blue-collar workers who use carbon fibre insoles to support and stabilize their feet while working long hours. Carbon fibre insoles are also popularly used for people who are recovering from foot injuries as well. They are also popular among marathon runners. Since carbon fibre is a strong and lightweight material that doesn’t breakdown easily, it is excellent at being shaped and used to support many different foot types.

Since footballers play so much, its common knowledge that most footballers at the highest levels have custom insoles. Along with this, they have to deal with all sorts of small foot injuries that can occur. In order to have insoles that won’t break down after extended periods of use, carbon fibre is used on many of their insoles. I like to think of professionals similar to F1 cars, both use carbon fibre to perform at their highest levels. By using carbon fibre, pros get added support and stability for their feet without having to change the design or make their boots bulkier. I personally think that brands do us all a disservice by not opening telling us what kind of carbon fibre inserts their pros use. Though its understandable that no brand wants to admit that their boots don’t provide enough support and stability, which by the way, most don’t have enough support. Hopefully, in future we can all be treated a bit more like the pros.

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