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Lesson From Pro Footballers -
Break In New Boots Before Playing In Them

World Cup fever hits every four years. Young footballers lace up their brand new soccer shoes to practice kicking like their favorite stars. The British Medical Association has a warning for the eager young stars. Wearing new football boots for a game can cause toxic shock syndrome.

Doctors have reported on this unusual condition that can develop in budding young footballers Coaches, parents, doctors and the players themselves should be aware of the symptoms as well as the relatively easy ways to avoid it.

The warnings come after two cases of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) were diagnosed in children who played a game of football in new boots. Both of the children developed friction blisters over their Achilles tendons - on the back of the foot over the heel. The blisters contained Staphylococcus aureus, which in one case was found to express the toxic shock syndrome gene (TSS1).

One 13-year-old girl developed friction blisters over both heels after playing a competitive game of football in new boots. She was admitted to her local hospital after developing a range of symptoms including fever, rash, abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension), vomiting and diarrhea.

Further examination revealed a blister, 2cm in diameter, over each of her Achilles tendons containing the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus with the toxic shock syndrome gene (TSS1). A diagnosis of toxic shock syndrome was made and she was treated with antibiotics.

Another case involved a healthy 11-year-old boy. He also played football in a new pair of boots. During the game, he developed a blister on his right heel. Over the next two days he developed fever, vomiting and diarrhea, and a rash.

Within hours of admission to hospital, his condition deteriorated and his blood pressure fell. Doctors found that the blister on his heel contained Staphylococcus aureus. He also developed a secondary rash during convalescence.

The authors stated that toxic shock syndrome is rare in children and has become less common overall since the link with tampon use was recognized in the 1980s. But these cases show that this serious syndrome may follow relatively trivial skin trauma such as open blisters following a game.

They suggest that doctors consider toxic shock syndrome in a child with rash, fever and hypotension. They also stress the need to search carefully for the primary infection, as it may not be immediately obvious, and to be aware that secondary rashes occur.

To avoid getting blisters from wearing new boots, break them in slowly. Begin by wearing them for ten minutes during practice and work up to a full game. When shoes start to hurt, they may be causing blisters and they certainly affect the ability to play well. Change to older shoes to avoid doing damage. Take a tip from the pros and play your best in comfortable shoes.

Here are some tips for buying soccer cleats that fit:

• A soccer shoe will stretch more than other shoes and this must be kept in mind when purchasing a shoe. If you leave the store without the shoe feeling fairly tight, chances are it is too big and when it stretches you may have problems with blisters.
  
  
• Pay attention to the width of the foot. Some brands are wider than others. Talk to the salesperson and find out which shoes are narrow and which are wide. Keep in mind that all soccer shoes will be more narrow than a running cross training shoe because they are designed for a different purpose.
  
  
• Ask about the quality of the leather. The three most common kinds are synthetic, cow hide or kangaroo leather and each can vary in condition. Kangaroo tends to be the softest and easiest to break in but also stretches the most so you need to keep that in mind when fitting a shoe of that type. Synthetic tends to be more durable but doesn't stretch as much and may not be as forgiving.
  
  
• Male or Female: Not all shoes are equal. Girl's should not be afraid to ask about the availability of women's specific shoes. It may be a better fit than shoes that in many cases are designed with a man's foot in mind.
  
  
• Test the feel of shoe to ball before you leave the store. A shoe may feel great but if it doesn't perform well then it is not money well spent. Your touch on the ball should feel strong and true, almost as if you are making contact with a bare foot. (Corner Kick's Planet Soccer Store)

Source: Newswise

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