Why do players wear their socks and shinpads like Wirtz? | OneFootball

Why do players wear low-cut socks and mini shinpads like Florian Wirtz?

Not only does Florian Wirtz set Bundesliga pitches alight with his lightning quick feet and incredible agility, he does so while looking the part as well. His low-cut socks and mini shinpads have been his trademark for Bayer Leverkusen - and it seems to be catching on.

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So what's it all about?

While some players pull their socks all the way over the knee, and others, like former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, like to cut holes in them around the calves to prevent them being too tight, Wirtz has set a new trend.

Instead, the 21-year-old dons extra-small shinpads and socks that barely reach halfway up his calves.“I need to cut my socks [before every game] because I wear them low," he told bundesliga.com. "I cut them just before each match.”

For a player who is all about agility, quick turns and clever flicks, it makes sense that he wouldn't want to be bogged down by clunky matchwear, instead prefering the extra breathability and freedom.

Wirtz's sartorial choice also goes hand-in-hand with his preference for seemingly child-size shinpads.

“They’re relatively small," he smiled when asked about them last year. "I always try to make sure that I don’t get too many knocks. I might get some bigger ones soon, but as long as nothing bad happens, I’ll keep them for now."

It certainly seems to be working. Wirtz has registered nine goals and a league-leading 10 assists in the Bundesliga so far this season, with a further six goals and one assist in nine UEFA Champions League appearances.

Perhaps in the hope of emulating his on-field ability and success, other footballers have begun to imitate Wirtz's sock-and-shinpad combo.

His teammates, Jeremie Frimpong and Victor Boniface, are just a couple of other Bundesliga stars also going for the low-cut look, as are RB Leipzig pair Loïs Openda and David Raum, Dortmund's Julian Ryerson, and Eintracht Frankfurt duo Tuta and Junior Dina Ebimbe.

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