SYDNEY (Reuters) – Sportswear brands criticized for not producing enough women’s football boots say they are investing in female-friendly models, but say retailers may be reluctant to stock them due to a lack of awareness of growing business opportunities.
Several key players are missing from the Women’s World Cup due to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, including three from the England Lionesses alone, and there are fears that football boots – which until recently were almost exclusively designed for men – are a potential factor.
A recent report coordinated by the European Football Club Association reveals that up to 82% of European female players experience discomfort when wearing boots.
“Football brands are making welcome progress in meeting the needs of female footballers,” said Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee. “(But) major retailers give limited recognition to women and girls when it comes to soccer shoes.
“There is no point investing in research and manufacturing shoes for female football players if women do not know about these products or cannot afford them.”
The committee wrote to executives at Adidas, Nike, Puma, Umbro and others on July 3 to request information about their products aimed at women, asking: “Why are there so few shoes footballs on the market designed specifically for women and girls?
In responses released earlier this week, manufacturers said they produce women’s-only boots, but retailers are often reluctant to stock them because they are unfamiliar with the shoes.
“One hypothesis could be that women have grown up with the idea that the best way to challenge male dominance in football (and in all spheres of life) is to challenge it head-on and refuse to be seen as less capable than men, or as different from men,” Puma said in her response.
“This may have manifested itself in particular by the fact that the female players wanted to play and be treated exactly like the male players, with exactly the same shoes and in the same colors.”
“While sporting goods brands have risen to the challenge, meeting the needs of female consumers also requires our retail partners to recognize the opportunity and provide access and choice to our female consumers,” Puma said.
Adidas has said it takes a gender-neutral approach to football boots.
“We share your ambition to ensure sport is equal and safe for all – and this is reflected in our design philosophy,” said Kathryn Swarbrick, Adidas general manager for Northern Europe.
Drawing on our research and knowledge, we are committed to taking a more inclusive approach to the design of football boots, which are not tailored to the foot of a specific gender. »
Manufacturers were also asked about the price of the boots, as shoes aimed at women are often more expensive. Nike’s response is to offer the Phantom Luna, “the most comprehensive and researched women’s shoe model in Nike’s rich soccer history,” in both the more affordable Elite and Pro models.
The smaller IDA Sports offers a wide range of women’s boots, claiming to have carried out extensive research into the biomechanical difference between men and women.
“We scanned over 700 women’s feet and spoke to approximately a thousand podiatrists, physical therapists and players to develop our unique lasts (the mold of the foot on which the boots are made),” wrote Laura Youngson, CEO of IDA Sports . “In summary: women are not little men.”
Youngson said IDA Sports had, however, yet to successfully penetrate one of the UK’s major retailers.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by William Maclean)
