Leather football boots are dying and this is why

A side on image of a football boot split in two. The left hand size features a muddy leather Adidas Copa Mundial on a muddy Sunday League pitch, the right hand side is a bright red modern Nike boot on pristine grass inside a professional stadium.

Leather has historically been the most popular material to make football boots out of, but why are brands increasingly using less of it or ditching it altogether?

Nike and Puma have stopped using natural leather altogether in recent years, with Mizuno announcing this year that they are to phase kangaroo leather out.

The motives seem to be a combination of factors from the environment and changes in law, to innovation and cost.