Though it’s difficult to notice when they’re charging down the gridiron, you might’ve seen something peculiar about football players’ feet in between plays: tape on their cleats.

Why do football players tape their cleats? Battle Sports is here with adhesive answers.

Below, we’ll touch on key factors related to taping cleats, debunk common misconceptions surrounding the seemingly strange football cleat practice, and help linemen and wide receivers alike decide whether it’s right for them.

Main Reasons Football Players Tape Their Cleats

Taped cleats might not seem as important as football mouthguards or shoulder pads when it comes to football gear, but trust us: Once you try it, it’ll stick.

While players tape their cleats for many reasons, let’s narrow these down to the big three.

Enhanced Stability and Support

Whether you post up on the defensive line or plant your feet before a pass, every football player and equipment manager knows the importance of stability in reducing injury risk and improving performance. Don’t just knock the other team down—stop yourself from being knocked down.

Here are two ways that philosophy manifests in proper taping:

• It can bolster your ankle support, keeping you rooted no matter your position.
• It can help prevent bench-worthy ankle sprains and other injuries.

Comfort and Performance

With the heightened support taping each football cleat provides, you can expect better footing when you need it most. You’ll also be more in tune with how your ankles are positioned. Take a test drive and compare it to your usual performance.

While you’re at it, you’ll probably notice that taping is more comfortable than it looks. In fact, many athletes prefer it to the bulkier alternative of ankle braces.² And when it comes to football drip, tape seems to be the preferred choice.

Aesthetic Appeal

Deion Sanders said it best: “If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good.”³

You need to wear a uniform no matter what, but you can still look fresh doing it. Whatever that means to you—matching colors with your teammates, or maybe standing out like Duke Ihenacho in 2015 and his “sneaker” cleats—keep it swaggy.⁴ Even though it may not seem like it at first, tape can become a key aesthetic element in your kit.

Common Misconceptions About Taping Cleats

Now that you understand what taping can do for you, let’s debunk some myths about it.

Myth: Taping Causes Discomfort

Fact: Taping comfortably takes practice. 

There’s technique behind every pivot, pass, and punt in football. There’s also technique behind every taping job—aimed at slipping around discomfort like it’s playing poor defense.

Nailing it, as well as finding specific techniques that suit you, takes practice (surprised, athletes?). Check out these tips:

• Position – Point your toes at your face as you tape.

• Pre-wrap – Don’t like the feeling of tape on your skin? Pre-wrap can alleviate that.

• Goldilocks rule – Not too loose, not too tight, but just right. Keep your blood flowing and your game going.

Myth: Taping Is Only for Injured Players

Fact: Taping can help reduce post-injury swelling, but it can also help prevent injuries. 

As mentioned above, taping your cleats can provide stability and awareness of ankle positioning. It’s also a potential preventative measure against injuries, whether or not you’ve taken one for the team before.

That said, if you have hit the bench with an injury recently, taping can help keep your joints from jostling while you’re on the mend.

Myth: Taping Isn’t Necessary with High-Quality Cleats

Fact: High-quality cleats + tape = peak gameday performance.

Top-of-the-line cleats are like nothing else. Ultimate grip, ultimate drip.

That doesn’t mean you should write off taping, though. Think of it this way: Cleats make up the foundation and taping is the support pillar.⁵

Plus, while going barefoot isn’t suggested (unless your name is Jeff Wilkins), taping is optional.⁶ Choose it, though, and you could stave off an injury cleats alone wouldn’t stop.

How to Tell If Taping Cleats Is Right for You

Still, taping really is optional. So, let’s run the final yard and come to a decision together.

Factors to Consider Based on Your Position

First thing’s first: Are you a cornerback? A tight end? A safety? Some positions benefit more from taping than others. Peep these telling examples:

• Linemen – Lateral action is the name of the game at the line of scrimmage, meaning extra ankle support counts for something.

• Running back – Limited movement is the last thing you want. Prioritize agility over taping (or use a looser wrap).

• Quarterback – Sloppy stance, sloppy throw. Taping up to stabilize yourself isn’t the worst idea.⁷

Personal Comfort and Play Style

No two players are the same. If everyone else tapes their cleats, that doesn’t mean you have to. Tape with intention—that is, tape because you feel a tangible difference in your play.

Also, if it’s uncomfortable no matter what you try, skip it. The last thing you want is itchy ankles while you’re tackled to the ground. You might consider ankle braces instead.

Testing and Adjusting Taping Techniques

Like every game pits two teams against one another, there are two umbrellas tape falls under:

• Inelastic tape focuses on stability and compression. It wraps around the joint.

• Elastic tape focuses on flexibility and comfort. It adheres directly to the skin, like our turf tape.

Try tapes from both categories and apply them in different ways—try whatever you need to give yourself that extra oomph.

Explore Battle Sports Football Gear Today

Facts laid out, misconceptions debunked, and decision-making made easier. Excellent work today, team.

But tape alone doesn’t win games. Gear up with Battle Sports youth football gear and watch the dubs roll in.

Gather your teammates to coordinate colors, or flaunt your personal style. Either way, nothing but the best equipment and the best swag await you. Check out our collection and build the freshest fit on the field.

Sources: 

1. Mass General Brigham. How Athletic Taping Can Help Cut Your Risk of Foot Injury. https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en/about/newsroom/articles/how-athletic-taping-can-help-cut-your-risk-of-foot-injury
2. Kinetic Edge Physical Therapy. To Tape or Not to Tape when Ankle Injuries Arise? – 7 Ankle Injury Myths. https://www.kineticedgept.com/tape-ankle/
3. Sports Illustrated. The Deion Sanders Effect: ‘If You Look Good… You Play Good!’ https://www.si.com/college/hbcu/football/deion-sanders-effect-if-you-look-good-you-play-good
4. Complex. This NFL Player Uses Tape to Make His Cleats Look Like Sneakers. https://www.complex.com/sneakers/a/brendan-dunne/duke-ihenacho-sneakers-tape
5. Hospital for Special Surgery. Do Cleats Matter? The Answer Is Yes. https://www.hss.edu/article_how-to-choose-cleats.asp
6. ESPN. The secret identity of the NFL’s last barefoot kicker. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34817040/nfl-barefoot-kicker-jeff-wilkins-think-last
7. The U.S. Sun. ON FOOT Why do football players spat and tape their cleats? https://www.the-sun.com/sport/9754452/why-football-nfl-players-spat-tape-cleats/
8. The Center Foundation. Preventing Ankle Injuries: Bracing vs. Taping. https://www.centerfoundation.org/preventing-ankle-injuries-bracing-vs-taping/