Sportswear brands seek retail space for their women's boots

SYDNEY : Sportswear brands under scrutiny for not producing enough soccer boots for women say they are investing in women's-fit styles but argue retailers can be reluctant to stock them due to lack of awareness about the growing business opportunity.

Several key players are missing from the Women's World Cup with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, including three from England's Lionesses alone, and there is concern that soccer boots - which until recently have been almost exclusively designed for men - are a potential factor.

A recent report coordinated by soccer's European Club Association found as many as 82 per cent of female players in Europe experience discomfort wearing boots.

"Football brands are making welcome progress on supporting the needs of female football players," said Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, chair of British Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee. "(But) major retailers give limited recognition to women and girls when it comes to football boots.

"It is no good investing in research and making boots for female football players if women are unaware of those products or unable to buy them."

The committee wrote to executives at Adidas, Nike, Puma, Umbro and others on July 3 requesting information about their products for women, asking: "Why are there so few football boots on the market designed specifically for women and girls?"

In responses published earlier this week, manufacturers said they are producing women-only boots, but retailers are often reluctant to stock them as they are not aware of the shoes.

"One hypothesis might be that women have grown up with the notion that the best way to challenge male domination in football (and all spheres of life) is to challenge it head on and refuse to