Can You Walk on Concrete in Football Boots?

You can. Your studs just pay for it.

Football boots and soccer cleats are built for grass and turf. Car parks, pavements and changing-room corridors are harder than anything the outsole was designed for, and every step on them is wear your studs take before the game has even started.

This is how to stop that, and why more players are keeping their boots on after the final whistle.

What hard surfaces do to studs

Studs and tread are shaped to bite into a soft surface. On concrete they have nothing to sink into, so the tips take the load and grind down instead. It happens gradually: the walk from the car, the wait outside the clubhouse, the trip home.

You can't replace the studs on most moulded boots. When they are worn, the boot is worn.

Protect the part you can't replace.

Three ways to protect your boots off the pitch

1. Carry them and change at the pitch. It works. It also means a second pair of shoes, a bag, and changing at the side of the pitch every time.

2. Wear slides to and from the game. Same idea, less to carry.

3. Cover the outsole. A sole protector goes over the studs for the walk and comes off when you play. Your boots stay on your feet and the protector takes the wear.

What Glide Soles are

Glide Soles are removable, reusable sole protectors that stretch over the outsole of your boots. There is no adhesive and no permanent change to the boot.

• Put them on to walk to the pitch, between games, or home afterwards.
• Take them off before you play. They are for off-pitch protection, not for wearing during sport.
• Use them again next time.

Wear the protector. Not your soles.

Shop sole protectors for cleats and football boots →

"Why not just wear slides?"

Of course you can wear slides. We just think your football boots deserve to be worn beyond the pitch.

The boots you play in are part of how you show up. With a protector on, they stop reading as match-day kit and start reading as what you're wearing: a different silhouette, the same boots. That's the idea behind from pitch to street. Rep the shoes you play in, beyond the game.

How to use them

1. Pick the size range that matches your boot size. The size guide is on each product page.
2. Hook the protector over the toe, then stretch it back over the heel.
3. Check it sits flat under the studs before you walk.
4. Pull it off from the heel when you reach the pitch.

Questions players ask

Can I play in Glide Soles? No. They are made for walking off the pitch. Take them off before you train or play.

Do they work on soccer cleats as well as football boots? Yes. Same footwear, different name. They are also made for basketball shoes and sneakers.

Will they damage my boots? There is no glue and nothing is fixed to the boot. They stretch on and pull off.

Can I reuse them? Yes. They are made to go on and off every time you play.

Which ones should I get for boots? Start with the cleat and football boot collection and choose your size range.

The bottom line

You already own the boots. Protect the studs, and you don't have to leave them in the bag when the game ends.