We receive many enquiries asking us which are the best mats for studs found on the footwear of sportsmen and women, whether it's for football, rugby, cricket, golf or any other sport. We supplied mats for the Rugby World Cup 2015 for this very purpose, so thought it a good time to share our knowledge with you.
Whether you have a sports stadium or a small club house, this blog will show you the various types of suitable mats, so that you can be confident in choosing the best mats for studs on sports boots for your own needs.
The Problem:
- Dirt, especially mud, is being walked into changing rooms, sports huts or down tunnels on the players' boots.
- The cleaning up of dirt and mud is costly, the area looks untidy and hygiene levels may suffer.
- Players wearing boots are more liable to slip on hard surfaces, so health and safety is a concern.
- The fear that most people have is that studs will damage mats. Either through piercing the mat or by ripping the face of the mat.
Areas Where the Best Mats for Studs on Sports Boots are Required:
This will depend on the size and characteristics of your venue. For larger stadiums, these mats are most likely going to be needed around player area concourses inside the stadium, down the player's tunnel and around the pitch.
For smaller requirements you will most likely require these mats around entrance areas to the club house, sports hut or changing rooms.
The Solution:
For mats to be suitable they will need to have the following properties:
- They must be hard wearing, heavy duty mats that will take a lot of punishment.
- They need to be crush proof from the weight and pressure of the studs.
- They need to be weather resistant and drainable. The majority of mats for studs on sports boots will be outside. In the event of rainfall, they should allow the water to drain through the mat, away from the mat surface.
- They will need to remove and hold onto heavy dirt and mud. The mat should have scraping abilities, such as raised scraper nubs or scraping fibres, to remove mud from boots. The mat would also benefit from being bi-level, which will allow the mud to fall to a lower level where it is held and not tracked in on the boots of subsequent players.
- The mats should have a rubber base. This will prevent the mat from splitting, particularly when spikes are involved in golf or cricket for example. Rubber is also resistant to the weather and is not liable to split, crack or curl.
- They should be easy to clean and, if used outside, preferably with a hose or pressure washer.
At Mats4U, we sell a number of suitable mats for studs on sports boots. We list a few of these below for you to choose from. For a more effective dirt, mud and moisture removal system, you may wish to combine an outdoor heavy duty scraper mat, with an indoor wiper mat.
An effective two mat entrance system for mud, dirt and moisture removal.
These mats have nylon scraping fibres to remove dirt and a heavy duty rubber base. For use inside or outside, for areas with light mud or dirt.
Rubber scraper mats with drainage holes. Mud and water will fall through the mat onto the surface beneath, for later cleaning with a hose or pressure washer. Excellent for heavy mud and dirt removal.
Bi-level rubber backed mats, with crushproof raised rubber reinforced nubs. The mat has a fabric face which has wiping / drying properties too. For indoor use to remove and hold onto heavy mud and water.
Rubber backed mat with a nylon wiper face. This mat is good at wiping and drying boots. For interior use only. The mat can be made in any size up to 2m x 5.5m, which makes Tri Grip Heavy Duty mats a good choice for down player tunnels, along corridors and concourse walkways.
Ribbed Roll mats which allow dirt to fall beneath the surface of the mats. Comfortable for bare foot use, which makes them the perfect choice for use in changing rooms and shower areas. Easy to roll up and store for cleaning.
Heronrib mats used in a changing room
Logo mats can have anything printed onto them, such as the team emblem, advertising or even information to indicate the home team dressing room for example. Logo mats can either be made of solid rubber for use inside or outside, or rubber backed with a nylon wiper face for interior use. Recommended for lighter dirt applications.
Need More Help?
If you would like any more advice on the best mats for studs on sports boots, then you can either pick up the phone and call us on 0800 1 80 40 24, email sales@mats4u.co.uk, or click on the Live Chat button on our Mats4U website during standard UK office hours.
