Rugby Boots through time - 19/02/2009For a great many years many players of ball games like rugby and football did not wear specific footwear. The earliest recorded mention of specific boots for football was a request from Henry VIII to his shoemaker in the Tudor era. Although royalty and the aristocracy may have been able to afford specific boots as early as this, the majority of other enthusiasts couldn't. After Henry VIII's request there is little recorded mention of football and rugby boots for a long period of time. It is reasonable to assume that in between this time and the late nineteenth century, the majority of people would have used shoes tailored for another purpose to play. In the late 1800s, work, walking or hobnail boots were frequently used, with studs often nailed into the soles for extra grip. The foot wear was usually quite high cut around the ankle to provide support and protection, and commonly had reinforced toes. It was around this time that rugby boots began to differ from football boots, footballers decided that a lower cut around the ankles would allow for more manoeuvrability. Rugby players opted to keep the higher ankle for protection. To inflict additional pain on opponents' legs during play, many would fit metal to these boots. This practice was banned in 1889, when the use of iron plates or protruding nails in boots was forbidden. Since this time, several rules have been implemented to make rugby boots safer. In the early 1900s interchangeable studs became available, the studs were varied dependant on t
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