As the dust settles on the electrifying Euros 2024, we at Aisle 3 are excited to share a unique twist on football analysis: the boots that made it happen. Our study meticulously examines the performance of football boots throughout the tournament, uncovering which brands and styles truly dominated the pitch.
We delved into every goal scored during the Euros 2024, meticulously tallying the performance of each player and the boots they wore. By analysing a comprehensive set of data, including goals, disciplinary records, and offsides, our research offers a fascinating insight into the most noteworthy football boots on Europe’s biggest stage.
Top Goalscoring Boots
The Nike Mercurial emerged as the top goalscoring boot of the tournament with 33 goals, consistently finding the back of the net and showcasing exceptional performance. However, considering that the Nike Mercurial was worn by 167 players, the goals-per-boot ratio was relatively low at 0.2.
The Nike Mercurial also showed up when it mattered most, with all 3 of the goals scored during the final scored by a player wearing the boot – England’s Cole Palmer, Spain’s Nico Williams, and the match-winner Spanish hero Mikel Oyarzabal.
The Adidas F50, with 23 goals from 78 players, also shows a strong performance, as does the Nike Tiempo, with 10 goals from 34 players. Both boots achieved a strong 0.29 goal-to-boot ratio.
Left-Footed vs. Right-Footed Players
Our analysis reveals that left-footed players using the Nike Mercurial boots scored a higher proportion of goals relative to their number (29 left-footed players scored 33 goals), suggesting that these boots might be particularly well-suited to left-footed players. Conversely, the Adidas F50 boots, favoured by right-footed players, also demonstrated high efficiency, reflecting their design’s effectiveness for these players.
Disciplinary Records and Offsides Analysis
But it’s not all about glory. We also highlighted the boots worn by players who racked up the most red and yellow cards. The Nike Phantom and Adidas Copa were worn by players who received the most red cards (1 each).
The Nike Mercurial topped the yellow card charts with 51 cautions, but given the high number of boots worn, this may reflect the larger number of players using them rather than a direct correlation with disciplinary issues.
In addition to goals and cards, offsides were also analysed. The Nike Mercurial was worn by players who were frequently caught offside, totaling 73 incidents. Again, the high number of offsides may correlate with the high number of boots worn rather than the boot itself encouraging offside play.
Standout Performers: Sketchers SKX and Puma’s Low Ratios
One of the standout performers in the analysis is the Sketchers SKX, which, despite being worn by only one player, Harry Kane, managed to score 3 goals. This achievement highlights the potential of less conventional brands in the high-stakes environment of the Euros. Kane’s choice of the Sketchers SKX adds an interesting twist to the tournament’s boot dynamics, showcasing that sometimes, it’s not just about the brand’s popularity but also the player’s preference and comfort.
Interestingly, the Puma Future and Puma King boots had notably low goals-to-boot ratios. The Puma Future, with 49 pairs worn, only scored 4 goals, and the Puma King, with 12 pairs worn, managed just 1 goal. This indicates that while these boots are popular, they did not translate to high goal-scoring performances during the tournament. This is unsurprising due to being the boots of choice for many defensive players and goalkeepers.
Detailed Data Breakdown
This campaign is built on robust data collection and analysis. We gathered information from official match reports, verified player endorsements, and visual analyses of match footage to identify the exact brand and style of boots worn by each player. By cross-referencing this with performance data, we created a detailed and accurate picture of boot performance in the Euros 2024.
Greg Burgess, Director at Aisle 3, commented: “This research offers a unique look at the Euros 2024 from a completely new angle. By focusing on the football boots, we’re not only celebrating the goals and performances but also uncovering the stories behind the statistics. It’s fascinating to see which boots come out on top.”
A detailed breakdown of the data can be found in the table below:
| Brand + Style | Goals Scored | Red Cards | Yellow Cards | Offside | Number of Boots | Goals per Boot | Left Footed | Right Footed |
| Nike Mercurial | 33 | 0 | 51 | 73 | 167 | 0.20 | 29 | 138 |
| Adidas F50 | 23 | 0 | 38 | 27 | 78 | 0.29 | 17 | 61 |
| Nike Tiempo | 10 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 34 | 0.29 | 4 | 30 |
| Nike Phantom | 9 | 1 | 25 | 7 | 61 | 0.15 | 11 | 50 |
| Adidas Predator | 9 | 0 | 21 | 11 | 86 | 0.10 | 10 | 76 |
| Puma Ultra | 5 | 0 | 17 | 12 | 39 | 0.13 | 8 | 31 |
| Adidas Copa | 5 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 38 | 0.13 | 8 | 30 |
| Puma Future | 4 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 49 | 0.08 | 11 | 38 |
| Sketchers SKX | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3.00 | 0 | 1 |
| Adidas X | 3 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 32 | 0.09 | 4 | 28 |
| Puma King | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0.08 | 1 | 11 |
| Nike Hypervenom Phinish | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1.00 | 0 | 1 |
| New Balance Furon | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.50 | 1 | 1 |
| Various Brands | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 58 | 0.00 | 2 | 56 |
| Grand Total | 107 | 3 | 220 | 159 | 621 | 0.17 | 107 | 514 |
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Sources and Methodology
The analysis of football boots used in the Euros 2024 was meticulously crafted using reliable sources and rigorous research methodologies:
Raw dataset:
- You can find the full raw data here.
Player and Boot Data:
- Image Analysis: Live match images from various Euro 2024 matches were used to gather player boot data, using images taken from the reputable royalty-free image database Getty Images.
- Verified Player Brand Endorsements: In rare instances where images of players were unavailable (i.e. the player was injured or unused during the tournament), we have used the latest data available, such as images from training sessions during the tournament, on-pitch post-match celebration images, images from games played towards the end of the 2023/24 season, and common boot trends for the player, sourced from Football Boots Database.
Performance Metrics:
- Goals Scored: Data on goals scored by players wearing different boot brands and styles was extracted from official match statistics found on the official UEFA Euro 2024 website.
- Disciplinary Records: Red and yellow card data were obtained from official match reports to analyse the disciplinary records of players found on the official UEFA Euro 2024 website.
- Offsides: Information on offsides was sourced from match statistics to understand the frequency of players being caught offside found on the official UEFA Euro 2024 website.
Footedness Data:
- Player Profiles: Data on whether players were left-footed or right-footed was gathered from player profiles on reputable sports websites and databases, such as the reputable player data website Transfermarkt.