Leather football boots are dying and this is why

"Leather has historically been the most popular material to make football boots out of, but why are brands increasingly using less of it or ditching it altogether? Nike and Puma have stopped using natural leather altogether in recent years, with Mizuno announcing this year that they are to phase kangaroo leather out. The motives seem to be a combination of factors from the environment and changes in law, to innovation and cost."

"Even the most ardent lover of leather football boots would accept that it is a material that has the tendency to retain water and with the potential to overstretch both obviously undesirable for elite performance products such as football boots. The response (in addition of course to better quality leather) was to build lighter, better performing materials, and arguably what developed was a material divide based largely on type' of boots."

Leather was historically the dominant material for football boots, especially kangaroo leather used in iconic models like the Adidas Copa Mundial, Lotto Stadio, and Puma King. Major brands such as Nike and Puma have moved away from natural leather, and Mizuno plans to phase out kangaroo leather. Leather retains water and can overstretch, making it less suited to elite, speed-focused boots. Manufacturers developed lighter synthetic materials for performance-oriented models while maintaining leather for comfort-focused designs. The shift is driven by environmental concerns, changing regulations, technological innovation, and cost considerations.

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