If you’re about to read this, you’ve probably found our blog after searching for a pair of size 13 football boots (we’re in Ireland where we use the UK sizing system, so that’s US 13.5 for our friends in the United States). Across Europe, the average shoe size for men ranges from size 6 to the average shoe size in Europe is between size UK 8 & 9. Naturally, there is a direct correlation between height and shoe size, with your feet playing a crucial role in holding your body upright. And of course, the average height varies across countries.
For example,
- The average height of Spanish men is 1.74 meters (5 feet, 8 inches)
- The average height of Irish men is 1.79 meters (5 feet 10.44 inches)
With those few inches making a big difference to foot size, it makes the European football boot market more attuned to the needs of those in the UK 8-11 size categories.
In simple terms, that means there is much less stock of size 13 football boots produced than say a size 9 in the same model.
Why is it so difficult to find size 13 football boots?
The majority of boots produced by the two leading manufacturers, Nike and Adidas, are produced in their factories in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam.
For football boot retailers in Ireland, they will usually source their boots from wholesalers on reps for the major manufacturers in Europe.
But here’s the thing:
If the average foot size of a footballer in Europe rarely exceeds size UK 11, supply chain managers for the brand’s distributors in Europe tend to request much fewer pairs in anything bigger.
That means less of each football boot silo on the market in bigger sizes, and even less in UK 13 (and Nike doesn’t even bother with UK 13 anymore for the most part, but more on that later!)
Of course, with fewer football players with big feet, it theoretically means less demand too. The problem, however, is that it can be much more difficult to anticipate just how many pairs of UK 13’s need to be produced.
Where can you buy size 13 football boots?
Most major sports retailers in Ireland and the UK stock at least a limited selection of size 13 football boots. The likes of Lovell Soccer and footy.com usually stock a good range of big-size stock, and there is also a healthy trade of larger sized football boots on auction sites like eBay if you keep an eye on it regularly. Other popular online retailers that stock size 13 football boots include:
- pro:direct
- SportsDirect
- JD Sports
- Decathlon
- Greaves Sports
The problem with having such big feet is that you can end up buying a pair of boots simply because they’re the only option in your size, rather than being the model that is best suited to your playing style.
And it doesn’t just happen to the ordinary joe it seems, as Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian was spotted wearing RUGBY BOOTS in a Carabao Cup fixture against Preston North End last year.
In Ireland in particular, the perils of having big feet also initially led to GAA players wearing rugby boots, with the Adidas Predator Malice finding particular notoriety amongst the players of Gaelic Football and Hurling.
At Platinum Boots, we understand the struggles of finding mens size 13 football boots and endeavor to keep a stock of top tier UK 13s to suit our clients.
Why doesn’t Nike make size 13 football boots?
Despite having the lion’s share of professional footballers on their client list, Nike only produces one boot silo in a mens size 13;
The Nike Premier.
Yep, the only pair of Nike boots you big-foot folk are going to find are the heritage line, k-leather, bog standard (but actually still great!) Nike Premier. And even at that, they are extremely hard to find.
Why Nike stopped producing boots in anything larger than a UK 12.5, nobody knows exactly. However, it is likely to be a case of supply and demand, and the demand for bigger sized boots doesn’t justify the production cost.
Now we know what you’re thinking:
“That Erling Halland looks like he’s got whopper feet. He’s got to be close to a size 13?
Well, yes, he probably is.
But his boots are also custom made by NikeElite service that their endorsed athletes boots are measured to fit and have any custom alterations that are requested by them,
That’s right, Haalands Nike Mercurials are TAILORED to his very feet.
Want to buy specific football boots in size 13? Get in touch.
As a bespoke football boot retailer, we assist footballers, rugby, and GAA players to get the boots that can be difficult to find through regular, big-name retailers.
Relying on our extensive network of boot enthusiasts and dealers, we can usually come up with the pair you’re after given due time, notice and adequate budget. We’ve helped everyone from top pros to find deadstock boots, and ex-pros to find the classic football boots that they once graced the pitch in to satisfy that sense of nostalgia.
To request a particular boot, please fill out the contact form below and one of our team will be in touch with you in due course.
While we can’t always guarantee availability, we do have a pretty decent strike-rate: