Why is Kangaroo Leather a Popular Material Used in Soccer Cleats?

Soccer cleats are not just footwear; they’re an important tool that helps to enhance a player’s performance on the field. When someone plays soccer, they have to turn, twist, run, and balance properly. With durable and high-quality cleats, a soccer player can be sure of doing all that’s required without worrying about their shoes breaking, ripping, or causing them to slip. Fortunately, a shoe material like kangaroo leather can provide all this and more.

Why Do We Need High Quality Cleats?

Why Do We Need High Quality Cleats

Technically speaking, a cleat is one of those small studs or protrusions coming out of the bottom of a sports shoe. Cleats are for providing traction and stability to a player when they’re playing on the field or an indoor court.

The performance of the cleats depends upon their quality. During a game, the ground in an outdoor field could become slippery due to unexpected rain. It could also become a bit slippery if it gets too dry. In either case, high-quality cleats can make sure that their wearer can run on the ground or floor without tripping, slipping, or falling.

When we talk about sports shoes with cleats, however, the words ‘cleats’ and ‘shoes’ can be interchangeable. Shoes with cleats may only be known as the latter. Cleats can be made of cow leather, plastic, and synthetic fibers as well. However, kangaroo leather is preferred for making soccer cleats for many reasons. It’s considered to be among the best options for making both the shoe uppers as well as the protruding studs underneath.

For tips on how to pick the right soccer cleats for your feet, read our Guide to Selecting Soccer Shoes.

Why is Kangaroo Leather so Special?

Why is Kangaroo Leather so Special

Kangaroo leather offers a lot of benefits to the wearer. To understand its quality, we may take a look at the layout of this material.

First of all, kangaroo  skin has a very uniform layout. The fibers are parallel to the surface, weaving themselves in a unique arrangement. The collagen and muscular arrangement in kangaroo skin is not like that of cattle. This is a natural quality that enhances the strength of kangaroo leather. Basically, the collagen bundle here has a wavy pattern that’s more uniform and hence more suitable for use in shoes and cleats.

While there are many different types of leather, the unique pattern of kangaroo leather gives it a strength that we cannot find anywhere else. Below are a few main advantages that kangaroo leather gives to a pair of soccer cleats:

High resistance

High resistance

Soccer players have to kick a ball quite often. When they wear kangaroo leather cleats, the kicking energy gets evenly divided from the place of impact. This means that the fiber doesn’t get micro-fractures or tears, which may otherwise result in the leather cracking after some time. We may expect the kangaroo leather cleats to last for years even after rough use on the field.

High durability

High durability

Since kangaroo leather provides a kind of shield, it’s expected to last much longer than synthetic materials. While such leather might cause the price of cleats to go up, many players say that the one-time investment is worth it. That way, they can be assured of good performance in the long run without having to go through the hassle of buying new pairs of synthetic material cleats over the years.

High strength and lightweight experience

High strength and lightweight experience

The molecular qualities of kangaroo leather mean that this material does not have to be shaved in order to reach an acceptable thickness. Other kinds of leather need to go through a shaving process before they can be used as material for soccer cleats. Kangaroo leather, on the other hand, is naturally thin but still three times as strong as most other kinds of leather. This ensures that any shoes with an upper made of kangaroo earth will be lightweight and durable at the same time.

The reason why kangaroo leather is naturally lightweight and thin is because the skin has no sweat glands. Kangaroos don’t use sweat glands to cool down; instead, they give their forelegs a kind of ‘spit bath’ to achieve this purpose. Since sweat glands are partly responsible for thickening an animal’s skin, the lack of them makes kangaroo leather thin and supple without losing out on any strength.

A good fit

Since kangaroo leather is somewhat like an interwoven pattern of tiny ropes, it’s able to slightly expand and accommodate the contours of the feet. What this means is that the kangaroo leather shoe or cleat will start feeling like a tailor-made shoe that’s especially customized for the player’s foot. This is not just comfortable but also safer for someone who’s playing soccer or any other sport.

When choosing a kangaroo leather cleat, it’s important to go for one that has a snug fit. This will ensure that as the leather expands, the shoes will become more comfortable and even customized for the feet. Anything too big or too small will result in discomfort to the player. You can also read up on how to make custom football cleats that fit perfectly.

A more natural feeling

Any sports player will tell you that it’s important to have a natural feeling while they’re playing on the field. Most players feel better when they can connect with the ball and control it. The physical perks of wearing a kangaroo leather cleat includes the feeling of having very little between the ball and the foot.

This natural feel is why many professional players insist upon wearing kangaroo leather cleats rather than anything made with synthetic materials. Even if they’re required to don the models produced by big-name brands that sponsor them, the player will try to get the brand to simply put the new painted design on a kangaroo leather shoe. This way, they can promote the brand while still playing with shoes that cater to their preferences. We can also see the preference for kangaroo leather in the history of soccer cleats.

Not Waterproof

Not Waterproof

However, it must be noted here that kangaroo leather is not waterproof. No leather can be completely waterproof without further reinforcements. Kangaroo leather can withstand a little water on the playing field, but players need to put some waterproofing spray on it before venturing out in the rain.

The Cost of Kangaroo Leather

As is usually the case with any top-quality item, kangaroo leather is very expensive. This is mainly because its production is very costly. This type of leather is much more resistant to drying out than regular types such as calfskin leather. There are also certain limits and quotas on harvesting kangaroos.

As a result, one square meter of kangaroo leather will usually sell at a much higher price than one square meter of any other leather type. With these costs, the kangaroo leather industry remains small and somewhat limited.

Conclusion 

Sports players require specific gear and equipment in order to get the right amount of protection while playing. The same gear could also enable them to play better than before. With kangaroo leather cleats, soccer players can minimize their chances of getting injured, slipping, or otherwise risking their performance on the field.