From the football pitch to the street: studded shoes are shaking up fashion
2/6/2025
Translation: machine translated
Studded shoes on the road? Actually an absurdity. But thanks to social media and new street-ready designs, this could become a serious fashion trend.
For a long time, football boots sat on the bench, while basketball and running trainers dominated fashion. Then, around three years ago, the hype surrounding the Adidas «Samba» emerged: Football silhouettes with a retro flair were suddenly everywhere. Jerseys and ultra-short shorts also gained popularity and provided the template for the Blokecore trend.
After so much presence, it would actually be about time to clear the oversaturated field. But instead, football fashion is going into extra time - and is now even unpacking its studs.
From the pitch to the tarmac
In recent weeks, several media outlets have picked up on the hashtag «bootsonlysummer», which is currently going viral on Tiktok. It alludes to the British term «football boots» and promotes the wearing of booties in everyday life. In numerous videos, young people walk on tarmac in them as a matter of course and not only receive criticism, but also tens of thousands of likes. In fact, most of them are even amateur footballers, not even experimental fashion fans.
Source: Instagram @ufwshawgi
What began as a social media gag among British teenagers is now also attracting attention outside the UK and away from Tiktok. For example, the US American Noah Beck, a former footballer and Tiktoker with over 33 million followers, has made a statement about the trend in a clip. The English sporting goods brand Umbro also responded to the hashtag and posted an advertisement showing cleats in everyday office life. Singer Rosalía, meanwhile, clicked through the streets of New York in a New Balance model shortly before the Met Gala.
Not just since Tiktok
It may initially seem as if Tiktok is the birthplace of the trend, but the hashtag merely acts as a catalyst. Fashion's interest in studded shoes was already apparent long before #bootsonlysummer
Last summer, Y-3, the luxury label from Yohji Yamamoto and Adidas, sent several models down the catwalk in the athletic trainers. In 2023, Prada also collaborated with the German sporting goods giant and reinterpreted three classic cleats. Miu Miu presented a sneaker with a heel and subtle studs in its collection for spring/summer 2021. And in 2020, Balenciaga launched the «Soccer sneaker», a casual model with a studded sole.
However, no brand has recently managed to successfully establish (fake) studded shoes in the mainstream. That could change now. After all, the situation has probably never been as favourable as it is now, as eccentric footwear and football clothing have a firm, very prominent place in fashion. The slim, striking silhouette, futuristic and nostalgic at the same time, strikes a chord with the times. Familiar enough to be recognised - new enough to stand out. Nevertheless, the fact remains that football boots are extremely impractical for everyday wear. However, a look at current releases shows that the industry has already begun to respond to the trend and its pitfalls.
Football boots are being adapted for fashion
This spring, Adidas collaborated with lifestyle brand Kith to launch some of its classic studded shoes, such as the «Predator», in a street-ready version without studs. Meanwhile, Nike is pushing its «Total 90 III» model, the leisure version of the classic from the noughties.
Source: Instagram @lenfantpeule
The London label Miista, on the other hand, puts studs in a completely new context and swaps the heel of a pump for four studs. Of course, they're no good on the grass, but they can withstand hard floors. It is therefore quite conceivable that fake studs will be increasingly used as a pure style element in future.
Source: Miista
Clever Adidas release
Recently leaked photos of a yet unreleased shoe show: Adidas delivers another idea to make cleats suitable for everyday use with the «F50 Adiframe».
Source: Instagram @hidden.ny
The model is basically a «F50» with a protective toe cap. The sole of the popular studded shoe is surrounded by a slightly transparent plastic cover and is therefore suitable for hard floors. However, the model is not due to be launched on the market until next spring, just in time for the 2026 World Cup - a cleverly timed release that could give the burgeoning trend a decisive kick.
Survey
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Header image: Adidas
Has endless love for shoulder pads, Stratocasters and sashimi, but a limited tolerance for bad impressions of her Eastern Swiss dialect.
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