On Boots and Sport

The laces on my astroturf boots snapped again last night. (These are the boots I play five-a-side football in.) They're not particularly fancy boots, but they weren't bargain basement either. They're the Nike 'Total 90' kind which you can see here. (By the way, while I'm whingeing, why are they called 'Total 90'? Yes, I know a game of football lasts 90 minutes, but does that mean that if a game ever goes to extra time you'll be knackered? Or your boots will suddenly stop working? And anyway, they're astroturf boots - most games on astroturf only last 60 minutes. OK, never mind. I'll let it go. But you know - it's a stupid name.)

So anyway, my laces snapped again. This isn't the first time my laces have snapped on these boots. It isn't even the first pair of 'Total 90' boots on which the laces have snapped. In fact, I've bought the same type of boot about four times now, and on every single pair, the laces snap well before the boot is worn out. So the laces snap a lot. (It's all to do with the rubbish design of the way the boot is laced. I won't bore you with technical details, but in the name of 'style' they've come up with a design of lace-hole that puts way too much unnecessary friction on the lace.)

Now, I wouldn't usually rant about this sort of thing, but this afternoon I played another game of cricket, and I noticed my cricket boots. And I realised that I've been wearing the same pair of Mitre cricket boots since... 1995!

That's eleven years of hard wear. Not only are the boots still in great shape, but they're probably the most comfortable pair of shoes that I own (apart from my beautiful Oliver Sweeneys, and perhaps my Crocs. OK, so they're my third most comfortable pair of shoes) and you know what else - THE LACES HAVE NEVER SNAPPED. Not once. I'm still using the same original laces that came with the boots eleven years ago.

I've just thought of something else - eleven years ago, my Mitre cricket boots were about half the price that my Nike 'Total 90' boots are every time I have to go and replace them.

Now what's that about?

Phew. Rant over.