Like most female footballers of their generation, Manchester United’s Hayley Ladd and Maya Le Tissier remember the days of ordering boys’ and men’s football boots online and hoping for the best.
Before they found a sponsor, they would receive boot vouchers from the Professional Footballers’ Association — effectively the trade union for players in the English game. “It was a decent amount, but you don’t just use two pairs of boots in a season,” says Le Tissier.
It is the sort of thing that will surprise newcomers to the women’s game, and highlights the naivety of those fans who ask players for their boots after matches as souvenirs. Happily, Ladd, 29, and Le Tissier, 21, are now both sponsored by Puma and wear boots designed by the sportswear giant specifically for women.
The King range of Puma women’s boots (Photo: Puma)
In March, Puma launched female-specific fits for its Future, Ultra and King ranges, retaining the colours and designs of those worn by men but with altered volume and instep height. The company estimates that 90 per cent of elite women footballers in European leagues wear its women’s-fit boots.
“I didn’t think it would be possible in my time as a footballer to have female-specific boots,” Ladd says. “I’ve always…
