Guide: How to Choose the Perfect Soccer Cleats for You

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Throughout our 17 years of arranging international soccer academies in different European countries, one of the common questions coming from parents of youth footballers is what soccer cleats should I buy for the soccer camp or academy. Although, it may not always be apparent to know how to choose the perfect soccer cleats or soccer shoes that fit you best it is essential to avoid any risk of injury and of course, for those kids who join into a high performance soccer academy, a good pair of cleats can be the difference between having top performance or getting injured.

There are different types of soccer cleats in the market and also many misconceptions such as that (American) football cleats can be worn in soccer or the fact that a good pair of cleats will perform the same on different types of fields. With that said we have decided to elaborate in this guide to help soccer players to make the right decision based on their personal features and preferences.

Comfort instead of Appearance

The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo wears Nike Mercurial Superfly pairs, doesn't mean you necessarily should wear these as well. This is where the shape of your foot comes into play. If you are one of those with wider feet your first priority must be looking for leather boots. It is simple. Leather will expand and takes the shape of your feet offering you a perfect adjustment without constriction. If you are wondering if all leather boots look like Adidas Copa Mundial and you dislike the retro style do not worry, brands are aware of this and producing the modern models based on leather like Puma One as an example.

What facilities do the Soccer Camp or Soccer Academy have?

It is important to maintain constant communication. At IFX Soccer we are focused on providing our student - athletes with all the needed information and we are pleased to guide parents and players throughout the entire experience. The majority of the European summer soccer camps and soccer academies we represent boast real state-of-the-art facilities for the practice of soccer, where we can find a number of different surfaces such as natural grass, artificial turf and indoor soccer fields.

We will start with the most popular, the Firm Ground cleat. It is also referred as the molded cleat designed to provided traction and stability on most natural grass soccer fields. The Soft ground cleats utilize longer metal studs for added traction on wet and muddy fields and usually the studs are removable by unscrewing. The artificial grass cleats use shorter studs on the outsole and the majority of them being conical, this reduces some of the pressure on your body with the shorter studs not getting stuck in the turf as much as normal firm ground cleats would. Last but not least, we have the indoor shoes or the flats, which are used on indoor or outdoor courts for small sided games like futsal. They are usually made of rubber and are built to provide grip.

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Your field position matters

Now that you know a bit more about the different types of soccer shoes available in the market, the next step is to determine what soccer shoe features are important to you? We would build our check list based on Fit, Touch and Traction, and consider what position you play and what features your position demands. For example a Winger will need a lightweight and fitted pair of cleats that allow him to go fast, good traction for dribbling and with a touch for some passing. A Midfielder will need excellent control thus he should prioritize touch granting accurate passing and dribbling. As a Striker you will need attributes like traction and touch to break into defense line and shoot strong without fear to fail. As for goalkeepers, just go for comfort and those cleats with excellent lockdown for side-to-side lateral movement. Pick whatever cleat fits your preference, and stay comfortable to make those incredible saves.

Laced vs Laceless Soccer Cleats

Soccer cleats with laces offer great lockdown, which can increase a barefoot touch feel. However, the laces do not offer a pure striking surface. Some brands, like Nike, have developed ghost-lacing systems (covered laces) or a lace-it-your-way approach (personalized lacing), like on the Puma Future. Other brands, like adidas, have opted for laceless soccer cleats. While these cleats offer a clean striking surface, leaving your kick uninhibited from laces, sometimes these models don’t always have the most snug fit.
We recommend you choose the pair that fits your playing style. If you are a quick cutter, then we would recommend the stability which laces can provide, but if you are purely focused on front-to-back movements with a clean strike, then try laceless.

We hope this blog helps you to clarify and make the right decision when it comes to Choosing the Perfect Soccer Cleats for you.

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