The Importance of Cricket Spikes - 02/02/2010Cricket is a sport where the balance of the player and the slightest movement of the feet can be the difference between staying at the crease and a long walk back to the pavilion. In order to play the game players must get their feet right before even thinking about picking up a bat. That is why footwear and in particular, cricket spikes are an essential component of the sport. The spikes that can be worn are available in a variety of formats to meet the demands of all playing positions and to fulfil the requirements of the cricketer's personal preference. Full spikes and half spike shoes can be chosen for varying levels of grip required on the field. Regardless of playing position, whether fielding, batting or bowling, the majority of players choose to wear footwear with cricket spikes in some form. The extra grip provided by the addition to the cricket shoes means that bowlers can accelerate quicker on their run in and deliver faster balls to the batsmen. Outfield players are often known to wear shorter spikes, as these allow for good grip on the grass when required for chasing down balls and quick changes in direction. Batsmen often choose cricket shoes which have cricket spikes on half of the sole unit and rubber studs on the other half. It is useful to have a pair which can also be converted to full spike if they also bowl and to full rubber sole if they need to play on an artificial pitch where spikes would damage it.
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There are many manufacturers of cricket shoes available on the market, all providing their own variation on the cricket shoe and cricket spikes. Puma, for example, offer a full spiked shoe that has been fully tested by podiatrists. Adidas, a long term cricket supplier for the likes of Pietersen and Tendulkar, offer a range of cricket footwear for all players. The Lite shoe that is available provides the cricketer with more stability and balance by making use of the cricket spikes on the outsole. The weight is then evenly distributed between heel and toe which is a perfect starting point before making that all important shot. The cricket spikes on this particular shoe are also fully customisable so that rubber lugs on the heel area of the sole can be removed for additional spikes to provide varying levels of required grip dependant on the conditions. Cricket spikes can be purchased for spares or to vary the length on the existing shoe. If a shoe is required that has a shorter spike for outfield play there is no need to purchase a completely separate shoe, an alternate set of spikes will suffice. These can then be used in place of the shoes original cricket spikes simply by unscrewing them and screwing in the replacements. The customisable aspect of these newer generation cricket shoes and cricket spikes mean that the player can try out combinations of rubber lugs and spikes to suit their own playing style. The co
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