Astroturf Boots

[Supernick]

Why is it that astroturf boots have small rubber studs on them? You're decreasing the surface area of your shoe in contact with the ground unlike with other trainers, but must be gaining something that means you can grip the surface better.

[vijzelgracht]

I guess they increase grip by digging in beween the individual blades of  'grass' unlike a flat sole which would skate on the surface (lots of astro pitches are water based, and can be quite wet on top). Big studs, like normal socced boots, wouldn't dig in so well, and would in any case ruin the pitch.

[Supernick]

But astroturf is basically flat, so studs won't be able to dif in much. Perhaps even just a few millimetres is enough.

[phil101]

There are two main types of astroturf pitch, water based and the more common sand based.

As the sand sits on the top of the plastic "blades", a smooth soled shoe would grip the sand, but the sand itself would slip over the artificial grass. The deep tread on the shoes used on these pitches allows the player to sink deep enough into the surface to obtain grip when in contact with the plastic surface.

A similar thing happens when playing on a waterbased astroturf. The water lubricates the top of the surface so when pressure is put on the shoe it displaces the water from underneath the foot and grip is obtained.

Football boots with rubber studs do provide a decent level of grip on an astroturf pitch for the same reasons, but they do massively damage the surface as they dig in very deeply, causing tears and lifting the surface from its foundations.

On another note, my footware of choice on an astroturf pitch are fell running shoes - all the grip but a lot lot lighter.