Cleats are the most essential thing that a soccer player needs on the pitch. However, beginners and even professionals can get confused easily with a great many options in the market.
The Most Important Factors To Consider
- Type of field
- Type of shoe material
- The shoe fit
Let’s Begin With The Pitch
So where do you usually play? The modern cleats are more specific than ever. There are specific soleplates designed to give excellent tractions on different playing surfaces. Soccer cleats can be primarily be classified as soft ground, firm ground, indoor, and turf.
Choose just the right kind of shoe cleats for the type of pitch you are going to play on. Wearing the right shoe matters as they are contingent on the pitch you will play on. Such as you can use firm ground shoes like the Nike mercurial vapor 11 on a normal football field but not on the turf.
Choosing The Right Material
Once you know the cleat types based on the pitch you are going to play on, now you can jump on to what materials make sense for you.
Modern cleats are usually made of two materials:
- Leather
- Synthetics
Leather
The best kind of leather is kangaroo leather. It has been the material of choice for all first-rate shoes. It became popular for soccer shoes as it has much higher tensile strength than cow leather, allowing the use of thinner material over the same surface area of the boot. This gives rise to a stronger and lighter shoe.
Some well-known kangaroo leather shoes include Nike’s Tiempo Legacy line and Adidas’s Copa line of cleats.
Synthetic
Modern synthetic leather materials are manufactured to imitate the softness of real leather but with a lighter weight and good waterproofing.
Synthetic cleats are not heavy and do not absorb as much water as compared to leather cleats, but they can be stiffer and tougher to break in than leather soccer shoes.
And some of the shoes even feature the best of both worlds – a combination of synthetic and leather. These hybrid cleats will have the softness of leather but possess some of the water-resistant properties of synthetics.
Never Sacrifice Fit For Anything
The next big important factor is the fit. Regardless of whether you are purchasing the most expensive soccer cleat or a budget-minded boot – you need to have a proper fit.
A proper fit is very crucial. In general, soccer cleats should fit snugly on your foot, more snug than your work shoes or other shoes. This compact fit is essential for support and stability in a fast-paced game.
And if your feet are done growing, you may want a shoe with no toe space as this will allow you to have a sock-like feel to your shoe and avoid any kind of toe drag. Many soccer players feel this gives them the ultimate control in the game.
Conclusion
So if a boot fits all the other criteria – correct pitch, right shoe material, and perfect fit? Then that is the cleat for you.