235 AFLW Players Wear Asics: Inside the Boot Census

Asics23560%

Nike9123%

Adidas318%

Puma277%

New Balance31%

Concave21%

Mizuno1<1%

Shares under 0.5% print as <1%.

117 players, one boot. Out of 390 mapped AFLW players wearing 29 different models, the Asics Menace 5 alone is worn by 117 players. That is the headline here at What's Worn, and it sets the tone for everything else in this census: fit-first, oval-ready, and remarkably loyal.

We love a close race, but this is not one. Asics holds 235 players. Nike is next on 91 players. Then comes a gap to Adidas on 31 players and Puma on 27 players, with New Balance on 3 players, Concave on 2 players and Mizuno on 1 player. Add it up and you get the full 390.

117

AFLW players wear the Asics Menace 5

from 390 mapped players across 29 models

Asics runs the league

Let us be blunt: Asics owns the AFLW. The 235-player total breaks down cleanly into three models and nothing else. The Asics Menace 5 leads on 117 players, the Asics Lethal Tigreor follows on 89 players, and the Asics Lethal Flash IT FF 3 rounds out the set on 29 players.

Asics Menace 5117

Asics Lethal Tigreor89

Asics Lethal Flash IT FF 329

Three models and nothing else - the brand's total is fully accounted for. Whatsworn census, 390 mapped AFLW players. Figures in players.

That completeness matters. We are not cherry-picking favourites. Those three add up to exactly 235, which is the 60% share listed for Asics in the brand count. No missing models, no mystery boots.

What does that tell us as players? The top two are workhorse footy shapes that keep showing up season after season on hard Australian ovals. They are not the flashiest boots in the catalogue, and that is the point. For a lot of AFLW players, training loads, pre-season running, and back-to-back games reward stability and a familiar fit over anything exotic.

If you walked into a change room in February, this is what you would expect to see: row after row of black Asics with grass in the studs. It is not a trend. It is a habit.

Why comfort wins on AFLW ovals

The breakdown above tells us what the league wears. The more interesting question is why it leans this way.

Here at What's Worn we read that as a vote for confidence. Footy is stop-start, twist-turn, tackle-land-repeat. A boot that feels settled from the first drill matters more than a boot that promises an extra step in a straight line.

That does not mean speed boots have no place. It means the league as a whole leans toward boots players can trust on tired legs in August. Parents buying for kids should take note: the most-copied choice in elite women's footy is not a super-light sprint slipper, it is a sturdy, repeatable fit.

It also explains why the next tier looks so different. Once you leave Asics-land, variety explodes.

Nike and the 91-player split

Nike holds second place with 91 players, which is a 23% share. And unlike Asics, that total is spread across eight distinct models.

The full Nike breakdown is: Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Pro AG on 27 players, Nike Tiempo Maestro Academy FG/MG on 27 players, Nike Mercurial Vapor 16 Elite on 22 players, Nike Mercurial Superfly 10 on 9 players, Nike Phantom Luna 2 Elite on 3 players, Nike Phantom 6 High Elite AG on 1 player, Nike Tiempo Legend 10 Elite FG on 1 player, and Nike Tiempo Ligera on 1 player. Together that is exactly 91.

We love that tie at the top. The Vapor 16 Pro AG and the Tiempo Maestro Academy both sit on 27. One is from Nike's pace family, one is from its touch-first Tiempo family. Same brand, opposite instincts, same result.

For shoppers, that split is useful. If you like a lower, sharper feel around the forefoot, the Vapor line is where Nike's AFLW numbers live. If you prefer a softer, more padded touch, the Tiempo names keep appearing. Both work on footy ovals - the league is literally divided down the middle.

You can browse Aine Tighe, Aisling McCarthy and Aisling Reidy to see how different player profiles show up in our database, but the broader lesson holds: Nike does not win by one hero boot in AFLW. It wins by offering a path for both tribes.

Adidas and Puma fight for third

This is where the census gets tight. Adidas has 31 players for an 8% share. Puma has 27 players for a 7% share. Four players separate them across the whole league.

Adidas spreads those 31 across eight models: Adidas Copa Pure 4 Elite FG Football Boots on 13 players, Adidas Copa Pure 2 Elite on 5 players, Adidas X Crazyfast .1 on 5 players, Adidas Predator Elite FG Football Boots on 4 players, Adidas Copa Mundial FG on 1 player, Adidas F50 on 1 player, Adidas F50 Elite FG Football Boots on 1 player, and Adidas X Crazyfast on 1 player.

Puma spreads its 27 across six models: Puma Future 9 Ultimate FG on 10 players, Puma Ultra 6 Ultimate AG on 8 players, Puma Future 9 Match FG/AG on 5 players, Puma One 5.1 FG/AG on 2 players, Puma Future 7 Ultimate on 1 player, and Puma King Match on 1 player.

The takeaway? Copa is king for Adidas in AFLW. The two Copa Pure models alone account for 18 of Adidas's 31. For Puma, the Future family does the heavy lifting, with the Future 9 Ultimate on 10 leading the way, backed by the Ultra 6 Ultimate AG on 8.

If you are choosing between these two brands, follow the league's lead: start with Copa Pure if you want that classic cushioned feel, start with Future or Ultra if you want a slightly more agile wrap.

The tail: small numbers, loyal fans

Every census has a long tail, and this one is refreshingly honest. New Balance has 3 players for a 1% share, made up of the New Balance 442 v2 Pro on 2 players and the New Balance Furon Team V8 FG on 1 player. Concave has 2 players for a 1% share, both in the Concave Halo +Pro v2 FG on 2 players. Mizuno has 1 player for a 0% share, in the Mizuno Morelia II Elite FG on 1 player.

We like seeing those names survive. In a 390-player sample, holding even one or two players means someone tried everything else and came back.

It is also a reminder that the boot market in AFLW is not really 29-wide. It is top-heavy. The top five models - Menace 5 on 117, Lethal Tigreor on 89, Lethal Flash IT FF 3 on 29, Mercurial Vapor 16 Pro AG on 27, and Tiempo Maestro Academy FG/MG on 27 - account for the bulk of players. Everything after that is personal preference, sponsorship, or sheer habit.

That is normal. Boots are intimate. Once a player finds her pair, she stays put.

What to buy if you play like the league

So what should you actually do with all this? Keep it simple.

If you want the league's favourite starting point, try Asics first. The Menace 5 on 117 players and the Tigreor on 89 are the clearest signal we have ever tracked in AFLW. If you want Nike's best-supported options, shortlist the Vapor 16 Pro AG on 27 and the Tiempo Maestro Academy FG/MG on 27, then pick based on whether you like speed or touch. If you lean Adidas or Puma, start with the Copa Pure 4 Elite FG Football Boots on 13 or the Future 9 Ultimate FG on 10.

And if your feet do not suit the crowd favourite, that is fine. The 29-model spread proves there is room for outliers, from the Copa Mundial FG on 1 player to the King Match on 1 player. Comfort that lets you train fully beats a popular name that gives you blisters by March.

Our practical rule here at What's Worn: shop the census, not the hype. Find the family - Asics workhorse, Nike pace, Nike touch, Copa comfort, Puma agility - that matches your game, then get fitted properly and test on grass, not carpet.

The What's Worn Crew

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Boot details and availability change - check with the retailer before buying.