Objective The finite element method was used to carry out a simulation study of the kicking process and to investigate in depth the effect of shoe upper stiffness on foot force and ball motion. Methods Solid models of bones, soft tissues, football shoes and balls were established, and the kinematic parameters of the subject"s dorsal medial foot during striking the ball were tested with the help of an infrared high-speed motion capture system, and finally, the foot velocity and the positional relationship between the foot and the ball were loaded into the finite element model to complete the striking simulation. Results The hardness of different shoe uppers has an impact on the rotational speed of the ball, but has no significant effect on the translational speed of the ball. As the hardness of the shoe upper increases, the pressure on the back of the foot gradually increases and tends to stabilize. Different materials of the shoe upper result in a maximum pressure difference of 200N. In addition, the metatarsal stress areas changed, with the first and fifth metatarsal stresses increasing by 40.07% and 16.2%, respectively, and the third and fourth metatarsal stresses decreasing by 22.96% and 4.64%, respectively. Conclusion The hardness of different shoe uppers has a significant impact on the motion state of the ball. Lower hardness upper materials are effective in reducing pressure on the instep compared to higher hardness upper materials, and also help to reduce the impact on bone stress, thus reducing the risk of injury that may result from long term wear.