World’s first pair of soccer shoes was made for King Henry VIII

By Jonathan Coles via SWNS

The world's first pair of soccer boots were made for - Henry VIII, a historian has claimed.

The infamous king commissioned a pair in the 16th century to play an early version of the sport, according to historian Greg Jenner.

It is thought the monarch ordered some boots to be made from Italian leather - although it's unlikely they included studs.

Henry VIII is said to have been a fan of soccer - despite once attempting to ban it because it incited riots and violence.

"History fact for you - have a quick guess. He [Henry VIII] owned the world's first what, related to football [soccer]?," Greg said on a podcast.

"Football boots. He had the world's first football boots. Made from Italian leather, he had them specially commissioned for him.

"They weren't studded and they probably weren't like [Adidas] Predators. I'm not sure his first touch was that good in them."

Proof of the boots was previously found by Dr. Maria Hayward from the University of Southampton.

The shoes - ordered in 1526 - were found in an inventory of Henry VIII's clothing when he died, according to the BBC.

However, a report said the pair, which were found among 17,000 items of clothing, were made from leather from a different European country - Spain.

Soccer in the Tudor period was considered particularly brutal and not for gentlemen- making it the all the more surprising the king played.

It is thought that Henry VIII ordered the boots so he could take part in a match on Shrove Tuesday, the one day of the year when the game was traditionally played.

Greg, a popular author and historian, was talking on an episode of "You're Dead To Me" titled "The History of Football," which was first aired in 2020.