Kicking has always been a part of American football. It is called “foot” ball after all. But for the NFL’s first half-century, most kickers used a silly-looking straight-on kick with their toes. It wasn’t until the 1960s, when Hungarian-born kickers Pete and Charlie Gogolak—the latter of whom was the first kicker to be drafted in the first round that the toe-kicking strategy started to go the way of the Dodo.
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The European-born kickers popularized the soccer-style kicking strategy that had been introduced in the late 1950s by the Polish-born Fred Bednarski. During the year of the first Super Bowl in 1966, when kickers still toe-kicked, the league average for field goals was just 55.7. By 1980, when the soccer-style kick, which uses the laces of the boots rather than the toe to make impact, had completely taken over in the league, that was up to 63.6.
As European kickers continued to infiltrate the league and American ones continued to perfect the soccer-style kick, their efficiency continued to rise. By 1990, the league average was up to 74.4, and last year in 2024, it was up to 84.0. However, NFL kickers haven’t totally given themselves over to soccer, the original game called “football”.
Most NFL kickers wear soccer cleats to kick
While NFL kickers fully embraced the more accurate and powerful soccer style of kicking, they haven’t all embraced soccer equipment. While the majority of NFL kickers do now wear soccer-style cleats, there are still a few who have decided to stick with their football-style cleats.
The general rule of thumb is that kickers who have a background in soccer, like arguably the best kicker in the game today, the Dallas Cowboys‘ Brandon Aubrey, who played four years of soccer at Notre Dame and was even drafted into the MLS by Toronto FC back in 2017, will wear soccer cleats.
But even guys who never really organized soccer are starting to spring for custom designs that are much more similar to the sleek and flexible soccer cleats than their NFL counterparts. Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell, the most accurate kicker from 50+ yards of all-time (83 percent), never played soccer, but his father grew up in Brazil playing soccer in the street, which is likely why he gravitated to a more soccer-style design.
Difference between soccer and football cleats
But what is the difference between a soccer-style boot and a football-style cleat? Generally, soccer cleats are much more flexible and lightweight design to maximize speed and agility. They also have grippy exteriors on their uppers to make controlling the ball easier.
Soccer cleats are often also lower cut to allow for a larger range of motion. They also have shorter cleats on the sole. This provides grip but also limits injuries to other players when putting in tackles.
Football cleats, meanwhile, are a little more hefty and strong. They are built for protection on the rough-and-tumble gridiron. They also have higher collars to protect ankles from rolling and other impacts. Football cleats generally have longer and sharper cleats on the bottom to allow for quicker cuts and a stronger base when making impact.
They also have a toed stud that soccer cleats are not allowed to have. In football, it helps with creating that base, pushing when making a hit, and starting and stopping. In soccer, it would generally lead to injuries when a player is attempting to kick the ball. Or for an opponent when putting in a tackle.
However, it is worth noting that with the vast differences between the positions in NFL football, there are specialized cleats for various position groups. For example, linemen wear much more sturdy and strong cleats than skill position players, who prefer the speed and flexibility of a more lightweight design.
