Women footballers in the Nineteenth century wore ordinary boots to play the game, like their male counterparts. These were heavy and prevented much flexibility around the ankle.

Specialist football boots with studs began to be mass produced in the 1890s.

In 1895, Nettie Honeyball established the British Ladies Club in London. A match between teams representing the North and South attracted a sizeable crowd.

Women's football was often crticised by male journalists in newspapers.