The width of a football boot can directly impact comfort levels and some football boots are designed for thin feet while others are designed to fit all types of feet. I like other slim-footed players would be able to fit in most boots. The thing is in some boots I find myself having an extra space (even if I have already gone half-a-size down), affecting the responsiveness and my comfort experience in the process. So based on my testing I find the following as best options regarding finding narrow football boots.
What You’ll Find On This Page:
Do You Have Narrow Feet?
By simply measuring their feet width from their widest ends as well as their arches and comparing the results with this table, people would know whether their feet are narrower than usual for their length. In the same manner that feet width varies, some football boots are just naturally narrower and tighter fitting given the different brands, silos, and constructions available.
Different boots are built on different lasts, which suit different feet. For narrow fitting boots, our best options are below:
What are the Best Narrow-fit Boots?
| Rank | Why? | Boot | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Nike Mercurial Vapor | Most popular speed boot; still has that bias towards slim fit but the upper has now more give to accommodate more width |  >> Get Elite Mercurial Vapor 16 at Nike | |
2. Nike Mercurial Superfly | Preferred Mercurial by CR7 and Mbappe; not much different from the Vapor, just has a DF collar |  >> Get Elite Mercurial Superfly 10 at Nike | |
3. Puma Ultra 5 Carbon | Currently the snappiest outsole in the market, comfort and fit is also much improved from previous Ultra generation |  >> Get Ultra 5 Carbon from Puma | |
4. Mizuno Morelia Neo Beta | The best leather speed boot with both the Japanese-quality leather forefoot and mesh midfoot having a form-fitting profile |  | |
5. adidas F50 Elite LL | Fantastic laceless speed boot option as it carries out much of adidas’ breakthrough with laceless technology |  | |
6. adidas F50 Elite | Solid midfoot shaping makes the 2024 F50 as responsive and sculpted as it can bee |  | |
7. adidas Copa Pure 2 Elite+ | Quality leather in a one-piece upper construction; much of the fit and structure comes from the bootie setup, might just have an issue with the heel not providing that much padding for lockdown |  | |
8. adidas Copa Pure 2 Elite | Despite the capacity to open up more, it possibly has a better fit and lockdown than the + because of the internal heel shape |  | |
There are many competitive options now, but I still find the Nike Mercurial Vapor as the best overall among narrow-fitting boots. I notice the newer generations have been more forgiving in accommodating extra width because of the stretch of the upper material, but the base itself still reflects the width DNA of the Nike speed boot.
With a one-piece upper construction it still wraps my foot closely and I definitely feel secure about its lockdown. I certainly have this one-to-one fit sensation with no extra space to think about. What’s more, I can now enjoy Nike’s proprietary Zoom Air technology! It doesn’t really give an energy return as marketed, but it at least provide a distinct step sensation that I simply cannot find in other football boots on this list.
Personally, I prefer to wear the low-cut Vapors and save those extra pounds (weight and money)! The thing is that most high-profile Mercurial superstars (like CR7 and Kylian Mbappe) are in the Mercurial Superfly. So I reckon that the high-cut Mercurial sibling would also generate equal attention as more signatures gets released in the Superfly.
Besides the special colourways, I can sense how people would feel that the Flyknit collar complements the relatively narrow fit and feel of the Mercurial. I just thought that since the lockdown is just the same and I experience all the other benefits like lightweightedness, barefoot ball feel and upper pliability in the Vapor, I could get more value-for-money from the boot above.
Want to know more about the Nike Mercurial Superfly 9/Vapor 15? My good friend Daniel is here to breakdown the boot for you in this video:
3. Puma Ultra 5
While they still wrap around the foot closely, the current-gen Air Zoom Nike speed boots have become more forgiving, especially around the midfoot. Puma’s Ultra 5 has followed suit in that the shape is on the narrow side but the more has more give. What sets it apart is its carbon fibre tooling, which makes it one, if not the most responsive boot on this list.
I like how the Ultra has that snapback on the forefoot of the sole to give you that energy-return in every step. And I believe most will agree that the upper, for better or worse, really gives you that thin, barefoot sensation. My only issue with the Ultra 5 is that it’s certainly not for everyone, especially for those who might find the new tooling a tad bit aggressive.
Now this is one boot that I think almost have everything, and I find the premium K-leather forefoot and dual-layered meshed midfoot fascinating in a lot of ways. They still feel thin and all, but surprisingly I can still sense the natural plushness of the leather that cushions my ball touch. Also don’t be fooled by the difference of the forefoot and midfoot materials, as Mizuno does a good job in streamlining the sensation when the upper presses against your foot.
I’m also on stable ground as far as the tooling goes. It simply puts me closer to the ground and that the conical stud configuration gives me some thought of considering it for AG use. Morelia Neo Beta (or any Mizuno boot for that matter) is just ridiculously expensive! I would have to save a fortune and can only afford a pair every now and then. I think I know now what my christmas/birthday wish, if someone generous would send me football boots as a gift…
Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve seen players with some width on their feet wear these laceless boots with no problem. That is thanks to the pliability of the Sprintweb upper, the stretch of the textile tongue and some volume on the toe box. However, your feet still has to go-through that relatively narrow midfoot, and I see foot types with above-average width stick out around that area of the boot. It doesn’t mean it’s not comfortable, again given the factors I mentioned above, but I just thought the F50 looks more form-fitting and streamlined on someone with less width on their foot.
Apart from just looking and fitting well, I and the rest of the narrow feet players can certainly enjoy this boot as one, if not the only option here that has a laceless system. As such, it helps that the one-piece construction aids the upper in pressing to the foot more closely and be the best ever laceless boot so far in terms of lockdown. I also like the fact that the Sprintframe 360 outsole is very snappy and can surely trick your mind into feeling propelled in your acceleration.
F50 Ll is a solid option on its own. But I do find the Nike Mercurials more responsive overall (save for the Zoom Air tooling) because of the closer tighter fit, so I’m sticking with those for now.
So the comment above still sticks with the laced model of the F50 plus a few more observations on my end. The most obvious is that unless your foot fits perfectly well to the laceless one, lockdown is generally better in these boots. Those extra laces simply strap in your foot securely in place.
I suppose the F50 is now more forgiving and conservative with its speed boot fit because it has that modern upper flexibility, a standard u-throat and tongue (tunnel) construction, all allowing you to truly open up the boot and put your foot in. With that said, the F50 still has a narrow bias with its shape, so it would be best to view this silo on that starting point..
The combination of a thin leather forefoot and the adidas Primeknit on the midfoot in Fusionskin technology suggests a material that contours closely to the foot. adidas has made the fit even snug and tighter because of the addition of laces on top of the one-piece upper. All this I can attest to as confirmed in our play test.
There are just some areas of improvement that I think the Copa Pure 2 needs to address in order to be at par with the likes of the Mizuno Morelia Neo Beta IV. One is that I can feel there is a slight disconnect between the firmer, more robust midfoot and the buttery soft forefoot. adidas will do well, I believe, if they can make the Fusionskin more streamlined at least when it comes to the on-feet sensation. Then there’s that bit of pressure point that I sense is coming from one of the instep studs.
If you like the boot above but with a more adjustability, go for this regular elite instead instead. At least for my foot type, I enjoy the more snug sensation of the Pure II+. But the good thing about this Pure II version is that the increased heel padding reinforces heel lockdown and comfort, especially with the more open approach to the closure system of this boot.
It goes without saying then that regular Pure II Elite is friendlier to wider sizing. Regardless though if you go for the + or regular, Copa Pure II will always have the advantage over the likes of the Nike Tiempo Legend and Puma King Ultimate as having that natural mouldability as a genuine leather option.
The last thing that I like to bring up is that the I don’t see any stitchings that can safeguard the Copa from overstretching. That’s something that you might want to keep an eye on if you plan to clock in more footballing years with the Copa Pure 2.
How Boots Were Reviewed And Considered For This List
Before we get deep into that, check out how we usually do our boot testing in general here at Football Boots UK. Now about narrow football boots, I search for boots that have a relatively narrow last to begin with. Next is how the upper closely wraps or presses against the foot. Laces would always have that capability pin down the upper and make it mould around your feet, but I also find that those with a one-piece upper construction seem to trim down the volume and help tilt the boot towards those with narrow foot shapes. This is especially important considering some of the upper materials have some give to them, and could easily accommodate more width than usual.
Your Narrow Boot Questions
Is Nike Mercurial good for narrow feet?
The Nike Mercurial has always been tight-fitting to make sure you feel secure about the boot and not sloppy, as any excess space could cause internal boot slippage. The limited volume and the structured, responsive nature of the silo’s upper combine to easily wrap around narrow feet easily.
Is it bad to wear tight football boots?
No, it is not necessarily bad. In fact, the tight boots ensure the boot stays in place and help improve your responsiveness. However, every one reacts differently to tight-fitting boots, and if you have a physiological reaction then tight boots may not just really be your cup of tea.
Are Puma football boots wide or narrow?
The Ultra falls on the narrow side. The Future on the other hand already has a relatively wide last plus an upper with some give to it.
What about the adidas boots?
F50 and Copa leans more on the narrow-fitting side because of their respective upper materials pressing closer to the foot. The same cannot be said with the Predator, which has a relatively wide profile on top of a malleable upper material. Even if you go w/ laces, the Predator still has some extra space for the narrow-feet players.
