What are the Best Rugby Boots for Backs?
Get the lowdown on the best rugby boots for backs with our handy buyer’s guide. Running through options from Nike, adidas, Mizuno, Canterbury, New Balance, Umbro, and Concave, we’ll help you find the perfect boots for your position and style of play, whether you're a men's, women’s, or junior player.
adidas adizero RS Rugby boots
Favoured by some of the most successful backs in the world, adidas RS15 boots are worn by players who excel with pace and precision. World-class half-backs like Antoine Dupont and Beauden Barrett make use of the excellent traction and multidirectional speed provided by the responsive outsole to enhance their agility and manoeuvrability in tight spaces in the middle of the pitch and dominate games.
A lightweight synthetic upper facilitates quick movements while maintaining durability, essential for lightning-fast wingers like Portia Woodman as she executes sharp cuts and makes rapid runs through defences. The 3-Stripes’ expertise in the world of football shines through in the boot’s kicking characteristics, with asymmetrical lacing specifically designed to increase the sweetspot for more accurate drop and place kicks.
Nike Mercurial Rugby Boots
While not specifically designed for rugby, Nike Mercurial boots offer the most important thing backs need to get the most out of their game: speed. Mercurials have an aggressive soleplate that aids acceleration and quick direction changes, an ultra-light synthetic upper, and most make use of Nike’s Zoom Air unit to enhance energy return
and keep you faster for longer. If that isn't enough, they're the favoured boot of some of the fastest, most powerful wingers in the game, like England and Wales legends Jonny May and Josh Adams and Top 14 and European Champions Cup-winner Blair Kinghorn.
Canterbury Speed Rugby Boots
Worn by beloved Connacht and Ireland back Mack Hansen, the Canterbury Speed boots carry an endorsement from some of rugby's most accomplished players. A mesh-like upper cuts down on unnecessary weight, so you don't have to worry about being overburdened on the breakaway, and the responsive soleplate helps you to launch forward and accelerate quickly past tackles.
Built specifically for the high-impact, rough and tumble play that makes rugby the sport it is, the Canterbury Speed range takes your pace to another level without compromising on stability or protection, so you can play with confidence.
Mizuno Morelia Rugby Boots
Unlike most other speed boots, the Mizuno Morelia features a unique mixed upper that combines ultra-lightweight mesh with luxurious, supple leather for unparallelled comfort and high performance. Forefoot stitching enhances kicking accuracy, which is useful for place kickers or backs looking to play the ball to touch and move their team up the pitch. A stiff soleplate launches you forward to get the most out of your pace, whether you're bursting through opposition lines or charging back to make a vital tackle metres from your own try line.
Alternative Rugby Boots for Backs (Umbro, New Balance, Concave)
There are also some great options if you're looking for something outside of the major rugby brands. While New Balance boots are primarily designed for football, the Furon provides everything a good back needs to dominate a game of rugby, with an ultra-lightweight construction that gets the most out of your pace and an accommodatingly wide fit perfect for the bigger builds in rugby. The Umbro Velocita is another football boot that similarly excels in speed and agility without compromising on comfort or fit.
If your biggest strength is kicking, Concave – an Australian football and rugby-first brand – have an offering that could revolutionise your game. Pro Strike technology provides a concave surface that makes it easier to strike the convex rugby ball with power and precision, whether you're kicking from a tee or your hands. Their speed boot, the Concave Volt, combines this elite kicking technology with a streamlined construction and aggressive soleplate to create an ideal package for versatile, multi-faceted back.
