For natural grass, for artificial fields, for indoor soccer, or for concrete tracks. For strikers or for central defenders. No matter what kind of soccer you play, today you have a soccer boot tailored to your needs.
which soccer boots are the best for a natural grass pitch, and to avoid injuries, can you use the same footwear to play a futsal match as you would on an artificial grass pitch? These questions and many others are the ones that swarm, every year, in the heads of the fathers and mothers of the youngest soccer players, eager to know what types of soccer boots they should buy for their sons and daughters to enjoy the ball. In this regard, the first thing we want to make clear is a key concept: everything depends, and there is no such thing as a perfect boot. Each model is best suited to a particular pitch and style of play, and not only that: each person, each child, will feel more comfortable with one model or another. And that’s something we at Summer soccer camps and Soccer academies know all too well.
So, to give a helping hand to anyone who wants to renew soccer boots or buy the first model for the youngest of the house, we present here our particular guide to soccer footwear, where we will present all our knowledge derived from years of experience. A summary of options with the different terrains, specialties, types of soles, playing styles and positions.
But let no one forget the maxim: each person is different, what counts most is the comfort you feel with a shoe. And more than any characteristic or material, the only infallible method to find the perfect boot is to try as many as possible.
is your type of game important when choosing a boot, and what about the position?
Sport in general, more specifically soccer, has changed a lot in the last decades. Any veteran will say that the boot doesn’t matter, that they are all the same, that the important thing is how you play and not what you wear. But that’s a half-truth. The truth is that boots matter, and a lot. And each type is better suited to a type of game or a position on the field.
Although it may not seem like it, the position that each player occupies on the field, as well as the characteristics of his or her game, are a factor to take into account when choosing which boots to wear.
For example, players with a touch, talent and play in tight spaces, such as Pedri – who uses Adidas Copa Sense – will look for a shoe that transmits that sensitivity when dealing with the ball. On the other hand, other more physical players such as Kylian Mbappé or Romeru Lukaku, who base their soccer on the power of their runs and changes of direction, need a different kind of shoe. One in which traction and speed take precedence over sensitivity.
So, depending on the different footballing styles they enhance, we could talk about four types of boots:
- Speed: Do you want to run like Mohammed Salah? Are you one of those wingers that every full-back prays not to cross paths with in the open field? Well, speed-enhancing boots, like the Adidas Speedportal, might be the best option for you.
- Touch. Players with more quality, usually in midfield, need boots that facilitate controls, touch, precision and finesse. There, in that position in which no one stands out as much as Kevin de Bruyne or Alexia Putellas, the Nike Phantom boots are the ones that both the citizen and the culé have opted for: the Nike Phantom.
- Power. Kylian Mbappé, one of the most powerful and unbalanced players in the world of soccer, has boots adapted to his characteristics: the Nike Zoom Mercurial Superfly 9. This type of footwear is perfect if you are one of those who like to unbalance entire teams by facing, running into space, challenging the opponent.
- Classics. And then, finally, there are the classic shoes. For those who enjoy the traditional models, who want to transmit a sense of security, who are looking for balance in the performance of their boot. For example, for tough, rugged center-backs like Virgil van Dijk or Jules Kounde. Both have opted for the Nike Tiempo, one of the classics alongside the Adidas Copa Mundial.
Boots for natural grass
Then, beyond the type of soccer that everyone plays, we should also talk about the different types of terrain that we can find. And we will start with the terrain par excellence in football, natural grass, where we highlight two types of boots: with SG and FG soles.
Boots with SF studs (Soft Ground)
Once upon a time, aluminum studs were the norm for most professional footballers and this, of course, was not without its dangers. In fact, they were responsible for some well-remembered scenes, such as Diego Pablo Simeone’s stomp on Julen Guerrero, or the more recent injury to Gio dos Santos. Today, however, this material is the exception, and is only present in boots with SG (soft ground) studs, either through mixed soles with rubber, or only aluminum.
what are the benefits of this type of cleat? Well, above all, traction and grip when the ground is wet or soft, avoiding slipping when changing direction or pace. And what are the cons, beyond the danger they pose? Mainly, they do not adapt well to artificial turf or carpet. So, if you’re looking for a shoe for that kind of terrain, forget about SG cleats.
Although, in general, the use of soft ground cleats has been reduced to particular moments or terrains, there are professionals who continue to rely on them in any situation. One of them is Cristiano Ronaldo, an absolute fan of aluminum studs throughout his career, and this year he will be wearing the Nike Zoom Mercurial Superfly 9 Elite SG. And the other one is Diego Godín, a classic center back, a devotee of the classic model with six studs made of this material, who will wear the Puma Ultra Ultimate SG. Here are both models:
SURFACE: Natural grass (wet and soft).
STUDS: 6-12 aluminum studs, rubber and mixed sole (aluminum and rubber).
OBJECTIVE: Better grip and stability on grass.
PRICES: Examples below 60-280€
Boots with FG studs (firm ground)
But, as we said, soccer evolves, and the most used types of soccer boots nowadays are the FG (firm ground) soles, composed of between 8 and 14 rubber studs of different lengths.
Their preferred terrain, where boots with FG soles perform at their best, is dry natural grass pitches. There, they provide all the necessary stability without losing any of the speed that is lost with aluminum studs, which dig much deeper into the turf. In addition, the rubber studs allow these boots to be used on third-generation artificial turf pitches, especially if they are short and not laminated. The FG soles thus offer a versatility that many players (and their families) will find very useful.
Today, the vast majority of the best players in the world wear FG soles. Here are the boots of the best players of the 21st century: Leo Messi -the Adidas X Speedportal .1 FG- and Megan Rapinoe’s -the Nike Mercurial Superfly 7, a tribute to her Ballon d’Or in 2019-.
SURFACE: Natural and 3rd generation artificial turf.
STUDS: Between 8 and 14 rubber studs.
OBJECTIVE: Comfort in turns and speed.
PRICE: 50-280€
Artificial turf boots
And although boots with FG soles can be adapted to synthetic pitches, especially those of third generation, the truth is that artificial turf has its own soles. Here we highlight the two types of boots that are the best option for those players who do not play on natural grass pitches.
AG soccer boots (Artificial Ground)
First of all, it is worth remembering that not all artificial turf pitches are the same. There are, on the one hand, the first generation, also known as carpet, in which the studs do not provide any grip. And then, the most common today, the second and third generation, which are much more similar to natural grass. In these last two cases, the best option is a soccer boot with an AG (artificial ground) sole.
AG boots have a higher number of studs than FG boots (between 13 and 21). They are made of rubber and have a conical shape, which favors cushioning and a lower risk of injury. Here are our recommendations: the New Balance Visaro 2.0 Mid Level and the Puma evoPOWER Vigor 2.
SURFACE: 2nd and 3rd generation artificial turf.
STUDS: Between 13 and 21 rubber studs.
OBJECTIVE: Grip on artificial turf pitches.
PRICES: 50-280€
Turf or multi-stud soccer boots
Then, for carpet or dirt fields -because there are still dirt fields, of those where, on rainy days, you have to get under the shower with clothes and everything- there are the famous multi studs or turf boots, the affordable footwear par excellence.
Their main feature is the multiple small rubber studs, which reduce the pressure on the tread, something crucial in terrains where the studs do not stick. We leave you with a classic: the Munich Mundial T.
SURFACE: 1st generation artificial turf (carpet).
STUDS: Multiple short rubber studs.
OBJECTIVE: Grip on surfaces where the cleat does not stick.
PRICES: 40-130€
Indoor soccer boots
Finally, there are the futsal boots, a discipline whose footwear has nothing to do with that of matches on natural or artificial grass. Here, since they will be played on parquet or cement, and whether to play a pachanga with friends or to compete in professional futsal leagues, the shoe must have a smooth rubber sole.
They also have an advantage: some brands, such as Munich or Adidas, have been so successful with their models that they have even become standard street shoes. A textbook two-for-one.
We leave you a recommendation: the Nike Lunar Gato of the best futsal player in the world, the Portuguese Ricardinho.
Historical evolution of soccer boots
And now you may be wondering: how did the football world manage to get this far, to a time when there are five different types of soccer boots depending on where or how you play?
Well, it would have to be said that it all started a long time ago, perhaps back in the 16th century, with the King of England, Henry VIII. One fine day, he ordered his shoemaker to make Spanish leather boots so that he could play his favorite sport: a British version of the old Italian calcio. Without knowing it, this anonymous shoemaker may have made the forerunner of all the boots we have today.
It is very likely that Henry VII’s boots did not differ much from those used at the dawn of soccer, back in the first half of the 20th century: shoes with an inordinate weight, with which nobody knows, seen from today, how Di Stefano, Puskas, or Luis Suarez were able to play so well.
The revolution did not come until the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. There, against a Hungarian team that was heavily favored to win the title, Germany managed to win the World Cup thanks to the power of evolution. With aluminum studs designed by Adolf Dassler, the German team was much better adapted to the waterlogged pitch, and was able to turn around a final that had started against them: from an initial 0-2 deficit, the Germans came from behind to win the World Cup final 3-2.
Adolf Dassler himself took advantage of the momentum of his success to found Adidas, and his brother Rudolf, who had accompanied him up to that point, created the company Puma. This was the birth of the soccer boots market, which has continued to the present day with the incorporation of companies such as Nike – which created the first synthetic leather cleats for Ronaldo in the 1998 World Cup -, Mizuno, Lotto, Umbro and, more recently, New Balance.
Today, fortunately, there is no longer any resemblance to Henry VIII’s boots, not even those of the 1954 World Cup final. Years after the invention of aluminum studs in that World Cup, microfiber, breathable materials and fiberglass have arrived, bringing more comfort and sensitivity to soccer players. Shoes that cover the ankles have also appeared, as a way to improve safety and prevent sprains. And there are even shoes without laces, which have been able to reduce the weight of the boots by a few grams.
All with the same goal in mind that Henry VIII’s shoemaker and Adolf Hassler had in mind: the greatest possible comfort in order to at least score one more goal than the opponent.
Conclusion
The lessons we draw from all this are clear. On the one hand, that evolution is continuous, and only serves the player’s interests. On the other hand, although there are boots adapted to every style and terrain, the important thing remains the same as it has always been: first and foremost, the main criterion is the comfort of the player.
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