TLSS TIPS | EP.9 : The Important Piece Nobody Sees (English Version)

In every industry, once popularity reaches a certain level, passion and obsession naturally evolve into demand. From a business perspective, opportunities begin to emerge alongside that popularity. More and more people start seeing the industry as a space full of potential.
The good thing about this is that creativity follows. New ideas are constantly introduced, whether through products or services, leading to stronger competition. And in the end, that competition drives nonstop development in every aspect of the industry. Football is no different.

When talking about football products, football boots are probably the first thing that comes to mind, followed closely by football jerseys. And honestly, that makes perfect sense. But as mentioned earlier, in an industry this competitive, opportunities always exist and one of those opportunities lies in accessories for the game.
Football is no longer a sport that only requires boots and clothing. Additional equipment has become increasingly important, whether for enhancing performance, improving safety, providing support, or even helping prevent injuries.

Shin guards, ankle wraps, athletic tape, compression wear, and even insoles are now common sights in modern football. Players around the world use them regularly, to the point where they’ve become almost standard equipment for the game.
That shows how important these items are, especially at higher levels of competition where athletes must reduce injury risks as much as possible.

Shin guards, of course, exist to protect your legs, arguably the most important body part in football.
Ankle wraps, tape, and compression gear help stabilize the body and support areas that are prone to twisting, rolling, or strain during movement.
But what about insoles?
What exactly do they do?
What benefits do they provide?
And considering that many footballers actually remove their insoles before playing.
So, are they truly necessary?

An Insole (or “Soft” as many people casually call it) is the inner layer inside your football boot. It is the piece that comes into direct contact with your foot (or technically, your socks). It sits between your foot and the midsole before reaching the outsole underneath.

Because it directly supports your feet and absorbs your body weight before transferring force into the soleplate, it is undoubtedly an important component.
Even in everyday casual shoes, people still want comfort, cushioning, and support. So in a sport like football where players constantly sprint, cut, accelerate, decelerate, and shift directions, why wouldn’t proper support matter even more?

Some insoles are removable, while others are permanently fixed into the shoe. In regular footwear, especially more affordable models or shoes already equipped with cushioning technology in the midsole, fixed insoles are quite common.
However, in the football industry, most top-tier boots are designed with removable insoles instead.
The reason is simple, removable insoles are easier to maintain and allow brands to incorporate additional technologies. Whether it’s special foam materials, layered structures, textured surfaces, or new innovations, removable insoles provide much more flexibility for performance upgrades.

Now, if we were to imagine what makes a good insole, what qualities should it have?
Since it directly contacts the foot, one essential feature would obviously be shock absorption. In fact, cushioning is probably the minimum requirement for a quality insole.
But beyond impact protection, imagine if a thin piece of material could also
provide extra foot support, reduce slipping inside the boot, improve stability or even add responsiveness and energy return while running.
That would make a huge difference.

What’s interesting is that despite being such an important piece of equipment, insoles rarely receive the attention they deserve.
Many users completely overlook them. Some players even believe they are unnecessary (which isn’t wrong either). From a manufacturer’s perspective, insoles also play only a small role in football industry competition.
Perhaps that’s because producing high-quality insoles tends to involve higher costs and more complicated distribution. But more importantly, they’re hidden inside the boot. On the pitch, nobody can see what insole you’re using. Only you know.

Compared to shin guards which are still hidden beneath socks but can occasionally be seen, insoles are completely invisible. From a branding perspective, that probably makes them less attractive as a product category.

But we don’t see it that way.