Finding football boots that are comfortable can be difficult - especially as a woman. But, fortunately, brands are becoming increasingly active in create specific options, and we've managed to detail all of the best football boots for women.
Having the correct fitting football boots is of paramount importance to a player's game, especially when it comes to women's players. With men's boots creating a higher risk of injury among women, and discomfort at a minimum, due to manufacturers biasing designs that are more ergonomically suited for men's feet, getting the right pair is essential.
There may be plenty of the best football boots around, but not many will provide a comfortable playing experience for women. Fortunately, we've taken it upon ourselves at FFT to bring you the best football boots for women on the market...
The quick list
With a soleplate designed specifically for women, the studs are configured in a pattern that places less stress and pressure on specific areas, therefore making them a safer option. The upper is great, too.
Manufactured from a synthetic material named K-better, the latest version of the Puma King Ultimates are lightweight and relatively narrow. The soleplate has a women's specific construction.
In between the stitching on the upper, there's extra padding included to make these not only comfortable, but also improve the touch on the ball. Support has been added to the heel for twisting.
With plenty of space in the forefoot and throughout the mid-portion of the boot, these are great for players with wide feet. They're anatomically shaped specifically for women's feet as well.
Developed from the previous Future Ultimate, the 7 has moved the Pwrtape technology to the top of the boot - helping provide more comfort and a better lockdown on the foot. The shape of the boot also remains.
Best overall
Released ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Nike Phantom Luna Elite became the first football boot designed by Nike specifically for women - and they're among the best options from the American brand.
The anatomical flyknit collar shaped for ankle support is just one of the ergonomic design aspects that makes these boots more accommodating for women's feet, all while improving performance and reducing the risk of injury. The aforementioned flyknit collar helps make the Phantom Lunas feel like an extension of your body, as well as providing a better lockdown and a more responsive fit.
The thing that I noticed the most, though, is the cyclone 360-degree soleplate. Helping to reduce rotational traction, I found pivoting in the Luna Elite a lot easier than many other boots I've extensively tested on grass. This design aspect certainly makes it apparent that Nike has focussed on reducing the risk of injuries with this feature.
There are plenty of other elements on the Lunas that means they'll help performance as well, with the grippy upper providing a closer touch on the ball.
Best lightweight
The Puma King Ultimate's upper features K-Better, a kangaroo leather alternative that is thinner, lighter, more water resistant, more durable and more stretchy, making them ideal for women's players wanting to get all of the benefits of a perfect-fitting upper.
While I did find them fitting a little narrow directly out of the box, it didn't take long for me to break the King Ultimates in and have them conforming to the shape of my foot. This is helped by the knit lace closure and collar, which provides a seamless fit and great lockdown.
Crucially, these have a women's specific soleplate design, ensuring they're best-suited to the shape of women's feet. The conical studs also make changes of direction easier and safer, with bladed studs more likely to get caught in the ground - especially on artificial pitches.
Best for control
Under Armour has delved into the women's football boot market with a focus on comfort, with a thick, shock-absorbing insole immediately standing out. This helps lessens the impact running has on your body, while the leather-like upper material provides a cushioning that also helps with protecting your feet during games.
With extra heel support, there's plenty of additional help provided in twisting and turning on the pitch. However, what I found most striking about the Magnetico was the internal layer of auxetic material. The material helps the boots mould specifically to the shape of your foot, something that didn't take very long for me at all.
Women's players sometimes find it difficult to find a good-fitting boot, so look no further than the Magneticos if you want a true one-to-one feel.
Best for wide feet
Focussing on the volume and instep height, the Future Ultimate has been engineered specifically for women to match the anatomical shape of a woman's foot. The soleplate and studs are configured to ensure there's less chance of an injury risk, too, with their placement alleviating the specific pressure points.
I received the energy return I wanted from the soleplate as a result, which also helped with twisting and turning because I received the support underfoot I purposely look for. During these sharp movements my foot remained locked-down, too, with Puma's Pwrtape hugging my foot nicely. This did mean they were initially quite narrow, but once I had broken them in they were great for wide feet.
Going half-a-size down might be best to get the full benefits of the Future Ultimate, however, because they're a little longer than I expected them to be in the toebox when I first took them out of the box.
Best for comfort
Puma has decided to change the shape and placement of the Pwrtape on the Future 7, helping to secure my foot in place even better than before as the brand builds upon the previous Future Ultimate generation. I found the dual mesh FuzionFit360 upper easily conformed to the shape of my foot after a few wears, too, due to its flexibility and adaptive fit.
The soleplate remains largely the same to the previous generation, meaning there's still the same anatomical shape to match a woman's foot perfectly. I did, however, have to go down half-a-size down in order to get the full benefits of the boot, with the overall length slightly on the larger side.
Testing the FG/AG model, it also became apparent that these boots aren't best suited for artificial grass, due to the long studs. They worked perfectly on natural grass, though.
How we test football boots
We wear each pair of football boots across several sessions, on a range of different surfaces, in order to help us determine their true level of performance. We focus on key factors including comfort, stability, fit and feel to then inform our ratings. . This also allows us to balance them against the claims from brands about new features and technology.
We like to balance the results against claims from the brands about new features and technology that are supposed to provide you with a marked improvement in performance, even if it's complete rubbish. If a material on the upper is supposed to provide a better fit, we'll take a look into how accurate the claim really is.
Each pair is tested by an expert member of the team who lives and breathes football boots. They're able able to cut through the marketing minefield and provide simple yet detailed advice for all players regardless of level.
How to choose the best football boots
What might be the best football boot for one person might be absolutely awful for the next - so it can often be difficult to find one that suits you best. But while we'd all love to go for the best looking boot, it's the fit and feel that is the most important thing to focus on - with the looks a secondary consideration.
Indeed, the market can be a minefield of marketing jargon at the best of times, so cutting through that is essential if you're to find a pair of boots that really suits your style and feet.
Are women's football boots the same as men's?
Absolutely. Men's and women's different body shapes and sizes means that the pressure loads through our feet aren't the same, while bone structures also affect how the foot works within boots. Soleplates and studs are therefore configured differently, in order to create a product that works best for both men and women.
In addition, the shape of the boot changes from men's to women's. Generally, a woman's foot arch height is different to a man's, therefore impacting the entirety of the rest of the foot shape. Wider toe boxes are therefore needed to support this, meaning there are lots of subtle changes in a woman's boot compared to a man's cleat that isn't necessarily noticeable at first glance.
Can women wear men's football boots?
Technically you can, but we wouldn't advise it. The way men's and women's football boots are designed is completely different, due to variances in ergonomic shapes. This affects how your foot works in the boot, potentially creating a greater risk of injury as a result.
In previous years, women's boots were a lot harder to come by, but that's definitely changing now. There are an increasing number of options available on the market right now, so opting away from men's boots would be a significant step to become a better, safer player.
Getting the right fit
We would always recommend trying a pair before buying because making sure your cleats are the perfect length and width is key.
Pairs of the same size often vary slightly in length between brands and across models, so it important to try a pair on in order to know whether it is better to go a half size up or down for a particular pair or brand.
Foot shape is highly personal so consider the shape of your feet when looking for a pair. Some cleats are very narrow so will not suit anyone with wide feet and likewise very wide fitting pairs can sometimes feel slightly awkward for those with especially narrow feet.
This is especially important if considering a pair of laceless cleats as the lack of laces means there is very little adaptability – they will either work for your feet or they won’t.
