Footballers cutting holes in their socks has become an increasingly common trend in recent years, but now some players are even making holes in their boots.
A host of high-profile footballers have played games with holes in their socks including Real Madrid and England star Jude Bellingham, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Brazilian icon Neymar.
One man who isn’t a fan of the trend is revered manager Jose Mourinho, now back at Real Madrid. Several years ago, the Portuguese tactician posted a series of photos of socks with holes alongside the caption: "Beautiful socks for the Beautiful Game... Approved by the football authorities."
However, it turned out there was a good reason why footballers were cutting their socks up with scissors.
Players found that cutting holes reduced the pressure on their calf muscles, improving blood flow and circulation, as well as breathability.
A senior member of medical staff at a Premier League club revealed: “Many players feel the current socks are too tight and compressive on their legs, and some of them relate this to getting cramp in their calves."
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Now we’re seeing footballers beginning to cut holes in their boots - and the reason why has now emerged.
For example, Portugal’s Pedro Neto was seen with holes in his pink Nike Mercurial boots during the 2026 World Cup clash against Spain. Eagle-eyed fans spotted the Chelsea star’s boots had a hole in the back, exposing the socks, sparking much confusion on social media.
Neto swapped his boot after the first pair tore at the pre-cut hole, which made it too unusable to continue wearing, so he switched to a second pair with another deliberately cut, more controlled hole, per Footy Headlines.
Other footballers who have cut similar holes in their boots in the past include former Liverpool duo Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho. Italian icon Daniele De Rossi did the same thing, way back in 2019 while playing for Argentine giants Boca Juniors.
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Portugal's Pedro Neto in action with Spain's Marc CucurellaReuters/Maria Lysaker
According to various sources, including The Athletic, the most likely explanation is due to a condition that certain players suffer called Haglund’s deformity - an issue that affects the heel and can make tight footwear difficult to tolerate.
Haglund’s deformity is described as a “bony enlargement on the heel, close to where the Achilles tendon attaches.”
Michael Robson, a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at LDN Physio, has revealed that some people have the extra bony prominence without experiencing any symptoms.
“It really only becomes a painful syndrome when that enlarged bone repeatedly irritates the soft tissue around it,” Robson told The Athletic.
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Bartholomew Hudson-Gill, a physiotherapist at Opus Biological who has worked with top-level footballers at a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, describes Haglund’s deformity as a combination of the shape of the heel bone, thickening of the Achilles tendon and irritation of the bursa.
“That bursa, essentially, is like a shock absorber,” Hudson-Gill said. “The tendon becomes thicker, the bursa gets irritated, then the bone starts to get irritated.
“They load it more, it gets more sore. That soreness means there are changes in the bone, which means it then gets more sore.”
Another reason players may opt to cut a hole in their expensive footballer boots is due to a blister or another form of irritation.
In any case, it’s safe to say this isn’t a new fashion trend that footballers have suddenly decide to adopt.
Footballers struggling with various foot issues, including Haglund’s deformity, are cutting their boots as a last resort to ensure they can play matches pain-free.