What are the differences between football boots and rugby boots? 

Rugby boots are generally wider than football boots. .

Rugby boots have six to eight studs in a standard boot,

This creates better grip which is essential in rugby for rucks and scrums., tackling and driving forward

Why are Rugby boots wider

This is primarily down to the fact that there is no intricate footwork in rugby. Nor when compared to Football (soccer) is there as much kicking in the game

Wider boots give a better kicking surface – but lose accuracy

So Why? are most rugby boots built with 8 Studs

Simply put it is because grip is essential in rugby for rucks, tackling, driving forward, and scrums. Basically staying on their feet in contact where in football there is none so no need for 8 studs

In most cases rugby players studs are also bigger for the same reason. Although that does vary based on the surface on which they are playing, varying the studs form 13mm to 21mm in length.

Should we wear football boots to play rugby???

Should we – No!   While this is a common query people have is whether it’s practical to wear football boots for rugby and vice-versa.

As stated and we acknowledge both types of boots have studs and may well be similar in shape, but wearing the same boot across sports can cause serious injury.  When looking in a bit more detail at each boot, it also becomes apparent that wearing different boots for different sports won’t help players perform at their optimum level. 

If football boots were to be used for rugby, in some playing positions the players would crumble under pressure.  However for some position such as outside backs, wingers, centre’s and full backs they are often required to be more agile , have more speed and movement and rugby boots can be too big.

In these cases football boots will suffice allowing them more freedom of foot.

Remembering that the studs may need to be adjusted if needed .

However wearing rugby boots for football is bluntly damn stupid and impractical as well. The bigger and heavier boot would put football players at a disadvantage when moving with the ball as it’s more difficult to move their feet around the ball and consequently to keep control in an effective manner.

Shooting for goal may well be less accurate and in effective

The smaller football boot is designed around the shape of the foot from a more detailed perspective, whereas rugby boots pay less attention to the outline of the foot.

This means it will be harder for players to angle their foot in a way so that the ball goes where they want it to go, in the way that they want it to go.

So reality is when you kick around with mates who cares?

However if your sport is serious it will depend on the position you play in Rugby as well as the ground conditions as to which boot will suit your feet