Seven things to check before buying new boots

New boots are the one piece of kit most amateur players buy on looks. The launch photos are lovely, the box is lovely, and then the first wet Sunday on a worn pitch tells you what you actually bought. Run through these seven checks in the shop, or with the returns window open at home, and you will spend less and limp less.

1. Match the soleplate to your surface

Firm-ground studs are made for dry, natural grass. Soft-ground boots with longer, often metal studs suit wet, muddy pitches. Artificial-grass soles use more, shorter studs to spread the load on a 3G surface. Playing on the wrong one is the fastest way to wear a sole out and the commonest way to tweak a knee. If your club plays on two surfaces, buy for the one you play on most and keep an older pair for the other.

2. Fit at the end of the day, in your match socks

Feet swell over a day and under exercise. Try boots on in the evening, wearing the socks and any shin-guard sleeves you play in. You want roughly a thumbnail's width at the toe when you stand, no pressure across the widest part of the foot, and a heel that does not lift when you walk.

3. Check the width, not just the length

Brands cut their lasts differently, and the same size can feel a full size apart across the forefoot. If the sides pinch in the shop, they will pinch at minute seventy. Many ranges come in wider versions; ask, because they are rarely on display.

4. Decide between leather and synthetic

5. Press the heel counter

Squeeze the back of the boot. A firm heel counter holds your foot in place on turns; one that folds flat will let your heel slide and blister. This is one area where cheaper models often cut corners.

6. Look past the top tier

Most ranges are built in tiers. The top model saves a few grams and adds a premium upper; the middle tier usually shares the same shape and soleplate for far less. For a weekend player the difference is hard to feel, and the cheaper pair is less painful to replace.

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Buy for the pitch you play on and the foot you have, not the player in the advert.

7. Plan the breaking-in

Wear new boots around the house, then for a training session, before you trust them for ninety minutes. Keep the old pair in your bag for the first match. If a hot spot appears, deal with it early with tape rather than playing through it.