The Importance of Comfortable Cricket Shoes for Cricketers
Cricket might be referred to as the gentleman’s game, but it is among the most physically demanding sports in the world. Players need to be equipped with the proper cricket equipment and gear to not only maximize performance but also ensure safety. Due to these reasons, cricket bats, balls, protective gear, and helmets are the most sought-after products by professional cricketers and enthusiasts. However, most people overlook or undervalue the importance of cricket shoes to their game and health.
Whether you’re running in to bowl a fast delivery, diving to take a stunning catch, or running between the wickets to score runs, you need a pair of cricket shoes that not only maximize movement and grip but also ensure that you’re comfortable and injury-free throughout the match.
In this post, we’ll share the importance of comfortable cricket shoes for cricketers so you can add this factor to your list of considerations when heading to a cricket shop to buy a new pair.
Why are Comfortable Cricket Shoes Important for Cricketers?
Cricketers Spend Hours on the Ground During a Match
Regardless of whether you’re playing a Test match, ODI, or T-20, you’re likely to spend several hours on the cricket ground. The math is simple – the longer the duration, the greater the toll on your body, especially your feet. Therefore, wearing comfortable cricket shoes should be your top priority to minimize tiredness, sore feet, and injuries.
Proper Footwork
Proper body movement is crucial for batsmen who depend on their footwork to play different strokes. While there are hundreds of top-notch options in the market, most cricket shoes are highly tight and uncomfortable, which can affect your footwork and make running between the wickets difficult by causing pain between your third and fourth toes. Wearing comfortable shoes will free your feet and exponentially decrease the risk of developing pain or injuries.
Corns Prevention
If you don’t wear a comfortable pair of cricket shoes, your feet can develop corns at their pressure point. Not only are corns painful, but they can take days, weeks, or even months out of your playing days since they take longer to heal, especially for fast bowlers since they endure great impact on their delivery follow-up.
Better Posture
As a cricketer, you want to feel easy on your feet, and choosing cricket shoes that improve and maintain proper posture can help you achieve that. Uncomfortable cricket shoes prevent cricketers from running or walking properly. An ill-fitting, uncomfortable pair can disrupt the foot's natural position, impacting the player's muscles and joints while moving forward and backward, especially when batting. If the footwear isn't comfortable, it will affect your stance and possibly delay your strokeplay.
Improved Blood Circulation
Tight and uncomfortable cricket shoes can cause improper blood circulation, which in turn causes the player's feet to swell and make walking and running more difficult. Therefore, cricketers should buy shoes that serve a particular purpose and allow switching. For instance, bowlers can switch from full spikes to half spikes or rubber studs after completing their spell since they don't need that extra grip while fielding. Similarly, batsmen switch between half spikes and full spikes depending on the pitch conditions. For instance, hard bouncy wickets grip more easily than grassy wickets since they offer higher surface friction. Therefore, a batsman can easily suffice with half spikes or rubber studs.
Improved Ventilation
Just like other parts of your body, your feet need room to breathe, especially on a hot summer's day. So, tightness isn't the only discomfort factor that can ruin your time on the field. In many cases, the lack of ventilation traps heat in the feet, making you uncomfortable and want to take them off as quickly as possible.
Conclusion
Cricket shoes and health are and always have been interlinked. It is only now that amateur and professional cricketers emphasize their importance and force brands to step up their game. If you're in the market looking for a new pair, you should look for one from a proper cricket brand like Adidas, New Balance, Kookaburra, etc. More importantly, you should pick a pair that fits the natural shape of your foot to maximize footwork, especially if you're a batsman. Finally, when you're at a cricket shop, make sure you give different pairs a test run before splashing out your cash to ensure you're at ease throughout the game.