The Sports Archives Blog

They initially made only one change which was that there were bars nailed across the soles so that they could keep some form of grip on the grass and mud when running. The first actual rule concerning the rugby boot was put into place in 1845. This rule read, “No player may wear projecting nails or iron plates on the heels or soles of his shoes or boots.” This was because men would often kick each other in the shins in order to gain advantage over the other players. Of course this rule was not very strictly adhered to and some would take their boots to cobblers to have the front of them sharpened slightly.

It was not till the end of the 19th century that official rugby boots were manufactured and sold to the public. These boots were very similar in shape, style, and sturdiness to the walking boots usually worn by the players however there were leather studs placed on the soles of the shoes for better grip. After this improvement, there were few more until the 1960s, up until this point the only thing about the rugby boot that had altered was the quality of the leather, which had improved.

After this, larger sporting goods companies began to produce boots which featured a set of screw-in metal studs.

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